MOSCOW (AP) – Russia does not intend to toughen its policy toward Iran regarding its nuclear program, a senior Russian diplomat said Monday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it’s necessary to intensify international efforts to reach a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear standoff. But Ryabkov added that Russia has no intention to take a harsher attitude to Iran, Russian news agencies reported.
“Our stance on the Iranian nuclear program has no elements which could be interpreted as toughening of approach,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
The U.S. claims Iran is secretly seeking to build nuclear weapons — a charge that Iran vehemently denies.
Russia has developed close ties with Iran and is building its first nuclear power plant. Moscow has supported limited UN sanctions on Iran, but opposed the U.S. push for tougher measures.
President Barack Obama has signaled a new willingness to engage Iran, whose relations with the Bush administration were long strained.
Ryabkov said Monday that ending the Iranian nuclear standoff could also help advance U.S.-Russian talks on possible cooperation on missile defense.
“As soon as there is a shift toward restoring confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, opportunities will open for deeper talk on prospects for cooperation on missile defense,” Ryabkov said. “We are studying signals from the U.S. administration, and, for our part, have made proposals on how we can cooperate in the missile defense field.”