Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Saturday US policy aimed at stopping Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, which, he said, was damaging his country's space industry. "The unilateral practice by the United States of sanctions in the field of control of exports in respect of Russian space enterprises, as well as certain provisions of the law on non-proliferation regarding Iran" were an obstacle to economic cooperation between Russia and the US, he told an audience of US investors.Putin's target was the 2000 Iran Non-Proliferation Act which bans the purchase of technologies from countries that do not respect it. Washington believes that Iran is seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction. Moscow is helping Iran build a nuclear power station but with US worries in mind, Russia has stressed that its contract violates no law or international agreement and will go ahead only if Tehran gives the watertight assurances the world has demanded that it will not pursue uranium enrichment.
Russia's space industry is penalised by the law as it is banned from selling space equipment to the US. "Our programmes with Iran are transparent, open and controlled by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," Putin said, speaking in Saint Petersburg. "And so there is no lack of understanding, no mutual reproach or suspicion in respect of the Iranian leadership."