Putin's double game: hammers Kiev with drones and missiles, presses Iran for nuclear deal

This would be a real about-face by the tsar: Russia has been Iran's main diplomatic supporter on the nuclear issue for years.

But while Moscow publicly supports Iran's right to uranium enrichment, Putin has reportedly taken a tougher stance in private following the '12-day war' between Israel and Iran. The Russian leader's turnaround is particularly noteworthy, given the extensive support Tehran provided to Moscow during the war with Ukraine, supplying hundreds of attack drones and ground-to-ground missiles.

So much so that during and after the recent war with Israel, the Iranians were disappointed that the Russians did not provide them with any significant support beyond press statements.

Trump has reiterated that he wants a new nuclear deal with Iran, after flanking Israel by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.

If negotiations take place in the coming weeks, zero enrichment of uranium on Iranian soil will be one of the key US demands.

The Russians have made it clear, in public and in private, that they are willing to remove highly enriched uranium from Iran if an agreement is reached.

They would also be prepared to supply Iran with 3.67% uranium for nuclear power and small quantities of 20% enriched uranium for the Tehran research reactor and nuclear isotope production.

But even today Tehran insisted that any new nuclear deal must respect its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

"I would like to stress that in any negotiated settlement, the rights of the Iranian people on the nuclear issue, including the right to enrichment, must be respected," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told diplomats in Tehran. "We will not accept any agreement in which enrichment is not included," he warned.

Meanwhile, while Ukraine remains under bombardment by Moscow (last night 597 drones and 26 cruise missiles with at least 4 dead and one wounded) and Zelensky asks the allies for tougher sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Serghiei Lavrov has landed in Pyongyang to reinforce the alliance with Kim Jong Un: against Kiev but also against NATO domination in Asia.