Russia’s top diplomat issued a stern warning Wednesday against potential American military action targeting Iran, cautioning that such strikes could trigger severe repercussions across the region.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his remarks during a televised interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya network, which aired one day following indirect negotiations between American and Iranian representatives in Geneva aimed at preventing further escalation between Washington and Tehran.
“The consequences are not good. There have already been strikes on Iran on nuclear sites under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. From what we can judge there were real risks of a nuclear incident,” Lavrov stated during the interview, which appeared on his ministry’s official website.
“I am carefully watching reactions in the region from Arab countries, Gulf monarchies. No one wants an increase in tension. Everyone understands this is playing with fire.”
The Russian minister emphasized that escalating hostilities could reverse recent diplomatic progress, particularly the improved relationship between Iran and regional neighbors like Saudi Arabia.
According to a high-ranking American official who spoke with Reuters Wednesday, Iran is anticipated to provide a written response outlining potential solutions to end the diplomatic impasse with the United States following the Geneva discussions.
The same official revealed that White House national security advisers convened Wednesday and received briefings indicating all American military assets sent to the region should be positioned by mid-March.
Washington continues demanding Iran abandon its nuclear activities, while Tehran has consistently rejected these demands and maintains it is not pursuing atomic weapons development.
Lavrov noted that Middle Eastern nations are communicating with Washington “clearly calling for restraint and a search for an agreement that will not infringe on Iran’s lawful rights and … guarantee that Iran has a purely peaceful nuclear enrichment programme.”
The foreign minister added that Moscow maintains consistent communication with Iranian leadership “and we have no reason to doubt that Iran sincerely wants to resolve this problem on the basis of observing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
