Moscow opposes Iran’s withdrawal from nuclear nonproliferation treaty

Russia opposes Iran’s withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the statement was carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.

“We would not want Iran to withdraw from the NPT,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Peskov stressed that the NPT is one of the main pillars of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. Moscow hopes Tehran will remain committed to its obligations under the treaty and retain its status as a responsible participant.

Earlier, Iran’s first deputy speaker of parliament, Ali Nikzad, said Tehran was considering the possibility of withdrawing from the NPT. He said lawmakers planned to comprehensively assess the possible international and political consequences of Iran’s withdrawal from the treaty.

The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons while promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament. Iran is among the treaty’s states parties.