Russia warns against new strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites
Russia said on Wednesday that attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities must not become routine and warned of the catastrophic risks such strikes could pose.
Russia said on Wednesday that attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities must not become routine and warned of the catastrophic risks such strikes could pose.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that a pledge to avoid further strikes was a necessary condition for restarting cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has been limited in its access to Iranian sites.
Dialogue with China and Iran
Zakharova pointed to recent trilateral talks between Iran, Russia, and China as a sign that a nuclear agreement remains possible through diplomacy. She said ongoing dialogue could create space for progress, if conducted in good faith.
She referred to joint meetings in New York and Tehran where the three sides discussed ways to protect the 2015 nuclear deal and coordinate against efforts to revive UN sanctions. Russia said it supports a diplomatic framework that includes security assurances and avoids military pressure.
Beijing and Moscow have expressed support for Iran’s call for a new model of cooperation with the IAEA, after Iran’s parliament voted in late June to suspend collaboration with the agency following a ceasefire with Israel and demanded security guarantees before restoring access.
Pressure builds over snapback threat
The statements come as Iran, China and Russia have held joint meetings in New York and Tehran to coordinate their stance on the risk of snapback UN sanctions, penalties lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal that could return if no new agreement is reached.
Iranian officials have warned they may leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if European powers, France, Germany and the UK, trigger the mechanism, which they have threatened to do by the end of August.
