Prime minister Vladimir Putin says Russia is concerned about the "growing threat" of an attack on Iran over its nuclear program, warning that the consequences would be "truly catastrophic".

In an article on foreign policy to be published later today, six days before a March 4 presidential election he is almost certain to win, Mr Putin also warned Western and Arab nations against military intervention in Syria.

"I very much hope the United States and other countries... do not try to set a military scenario in motion in Syria without sanction from the UN Security Council," Mr Putin said, according to a transcript.

On Iran, he said that "the growing threat of a military strike on this country alarms Russia, no doubt".

"If this occurs, the consequences will be truly catastrophic," he said.

"It is impossible to imagine their real scale."

Reuters