No military component in Iran's nuke program: Russia

Moscow sees no military component in Iran's nuclear program and calls for further dialogues on the issue, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday.

"We have verified data showing that there is no reliable evidence for the existence of a military component (in Iran's nuclear program)," Ryabkov told Russia-24 TV.

He was also skeptical about whether sanctions against Iran could solve the issue, saying existing sanctions "have gone far beyond."

A lack of progress in negotiations with Iran must not become an incentive towards a military operation against the country, the official said.

"The negotiations still have potential. Russia will continue to interact with all sides," Ryabkov said.

A new round of sanctions were imposed against Iran in November by the United States, Britain and Canada, following a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that expressed concerns over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

Russia has criticized the report as "unprofessional and biased" and called for further dialogues to resolve the Iran issue.