Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said Iran is counting on Russia to remain neutral regarding the UN Security Council's possible adoption of new sanctions over the country's nuclear programme.
Russia's support on the issue will "remain in the memory of the Iranian people", Salehi said in an interview with Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei, published Tuesday.
The US and other Western countries suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the cover of a peaceful nuclear energy programme and are seeking new sanctions after Iran's move to enrich uranium to 20 percent.
Russia has consistently said the dispute should be resolved through diplomatic means, but has increasingly expressed a willingness to consider sanctions.
President Dmitry Medvedev said last week that Iran's intransigence could force the Security Council to look at the issue.
“Unfortunately, Tehran is not responding to a number of constructive compromise proposals and we cannot close our eyes to this. Therefore, I do not rule out that the Security Council will have to revisit this issue," Medvedev said at a joint news conference with Barack Obama after the signing of a new arms reduction treaty in Prague.