Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again voiced support for Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, underscoring diplomacy as the right path to resolving Tehran's nuclear issue. He made the remarks in a live televised interview with Russia 24 news channel on Tuesday. Putin, however, said Iran must guarantee that its nuclear energy program is not diverted to the production of atomic weapons. The Islamic Republic has in numerous occasions declared that its nuclear energy program is entirely peaceful. Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Bagheri said on Monday that during the latest talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Moscow, Iranian negotiators emphasized the Islamic Republic's unambiguous opposition to nuclear weapons. “We told the P5+1 [representatives] that you accuse Iran of nuclear diversion while we have expressed our opposition to nuclear arms at the highest level - [an obligatory] religious decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] - and the concern that our rights are not recognized, demanding an explanation," he said. On February 22, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Iranian nation has never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons. “There is no doubt that the decision makers in the countries opposing us know well that Iran is not after nuclear weapons because the Islamic Republic, logically, religiously and theoretically, considers the possession of nuclear weapons a grave sin and believes the proliferation of such weapons is senseless, destructive and dangerous," the Leader said. In a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the 12th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing early June, Putin said that Moscow would steadfastly back Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy. In another development, the Russian president warned the Israeli regime against the consequences of a military aggression against Iran, urging Tel Aviv to think well before doing anything it 'will regret later.' "Look at what happened to the Americans in Afghanistan and in Iraq. I told [US president Barack] Obama the same thing," Putin said in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres on Monday.
