Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Tehran will not seek permission from any country for its nuclear activities, while rejecting allegations that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
"We neither take orders nor seek permission regarding our nuclear technology," Aref said on Tuesday.
He said that Iran's nuclear program is focused on peaceful development and guided by religious principles, pointing out that Iran abides by the Supreme Leader’s fatwa (religious decree) prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons.
“If a fatwa prohibits nuclear weapons development and permits peaceful nuclear technology, all state institutions will comply," he said.
In an October 2019 speech, Khamenei said that building and maintaining nuclear weapons is "absolutely haram," meaning strictly forbidden under Islamic law.
Several officials have in the last year hinted at Iran's nuclear capabilities. Last April, after Iran's inaugural aerial barrage on Israel, a senior IRGC commander warned that Tehran could change its nuclear policies if Israel continues to threaten to attack Iran’s nuclear sites.
Ahmad Haghtalab, who is in charge of the security of Iran’s nuclear sites, said: “If the Zionist regime wants to use the threat of attacking nuclear sites to put pressure on Iran, it is possible and conceivable for the Islamic Republic to revise its nuclear doctrine and policies, and deviate from its past declared considerations."
Just this week, Iran's foreign minister said the country’s nuclear program cannot be destroyed by military means, citing the program's widespread dispersion and robust protection.
During an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah on Friday, Abbas Araghchi told AFP, “Iran's nuclear program cannot be destroyed through military operations" because the technology is ingrained, facilities are dispersed and protected, and Iran would retaliate proportionally.
Bruised by its falling out with Europe and feeling encircled by US-led sanctions, Moscow is likely to act as a spoiler, neither allowing its Mideast ally to be decisively weakened nor fully insulated from Western demands over its nuclear program.
Russia said this week that it seeks an agreement along the lines of an international nuclear deal in 2015 it signed onto along with the United States, signaling it might join the effort to press Tehran on its escalating nuclear enrichment.
The remarks may suggest Moscow believes Iran might limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Russia has a vested interest in preventing this issue from escalating into a full-blown crisis. Moscow sees Iran’s economic collapse—driven by US sanctions and chronic mismanagement—as a liability, weakening Tehran’s regional influence.
Iran’s diminishing ability to project power in Syria and Iraq threatens Russia’s own strategic foothold, particularly in Syria, where it has invested heavily. A destabilized Iran could also complicate Russia’s broader geopolitical maneuvers, including its efforts to counter Western influence in the Middle East.
Leave Iran in limbo
Russia benefits from an Iran that is economically viable but not fully reintegrated into the global system—dependent enough on Moscow to remain aligned, yet stable enough to prevent regional turmoil.
Iran is desperate for sanctions relief, but is unlikely to fully abandon its nuclear ambitions, which it views as a core element of national security. It could be persuaded by Russia, however, to limit certain aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for economic concessions without fully relinquishing its capabilities.
However, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains firm in his opposition to direct negotiations with the US, a stance rooted in ideology and mistrust.
In 2013, his policy of “heroic flexibility” allowed for the eventual deal to come about in 2015—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it’s known officially. But the context has since shifted. Trump’s withdrawal from the deal in 2018 as well as Iran’s deepening reliance on Russia and China have hardened his position.
Any renewed talks would require guarantees that Iran is unlikely to trust, making a diplomatic breakthrough more difficult.
Avoiding war
Meanwhile, Western powers are increasingly considering a snapback of UN sanctions in the next few months. That could escalate tensions to the point of military confrontation—particularly with Israel, which has consistently warned that it will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
A direct conflict involving Israel and the U.S. would not only destabilize the region but also undermine Russia’s influence, disrupt energy markets, and divert global attention from Moscow’s priorities, including its war in Ukraine.
Russia’s actual ability to mediate between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. is hard to gauge. US president Donald Trump says he has a good relationship with Russian counterpart Valdimir Putin, which can be a positive.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on good terms with Putin too. Although the relationship has been complicated with Moscow's growing military and economic partnership with Tehran, the Kremlin may still be in a position to discourage Tel Aviv from full-scale military action.
Ultimately, Russia’s interest lies in preventing an uncontrolled escalation that could disrupt its strategic ambitions. Moscow does not seek to resolve the Iran nuclear crisis but to manage it—keeping tensions high enough to maintain leverage over both Iran and the West while avoiding outright war.