Moscow Defends Its Position on Iran

(MENAFN) Russia’s backing of Iran during the ongoing US-Israeli confrontation with Tehran is largely driven by its adherence to international law and its aim to maintain stability across the Middle East, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated.

In comments made during a televised interview released on Thursday, Lavrov responded to questions regarding Moscow’s continued support for Tehran following the late-February strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials.

“Our primary focus was on upholding international law, not so much on defending Iran, which is more than our ally but is our strategic partner,” he said. “I do not think that the French, who have historically declared their commitment to international law, fail to see what is happening.”

Lavrov went on to reject assertions made by US President Donald Trump, particularly his claim that he “doesn’t need international law and is guided by his own morality and his own mind.” He argued that past American military actions over the last two decades — including operations in Iraq, Syria, and Libya — have consistently led to greater instability. He added that “the same is now happening with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Russian minister also criticized Washington’s approach to diplomacy, pointing out that the latest round of attacks was carried out “at the height of negotiations” with Tehran, marking a repeated pattern.

He further condemned the tone used by US officials when discussing the killing of Iran’s leadership, stating that when they speak “with bravado and pride about the cold-blooded killing of Iran’s supreme leader, one can hardly see this as anything other than cynical behavior.”

Addressing remarks from some Arab countries suggesting that two separate conflicts are underway — referring to US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory actions targeting Gulf states — Lavrov dismissed that interpretation. “I find it difficult to accept this logic, because the underlying cause – the US-Israeli aggression – holds the key to settlement.”

When questioned about claims that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran, Lavrov downplayed such reports, saying the “media is blowing [the topic] out of proportion.”

“We have supplied certain types of military equipment to Iran, but we cannot agree with accusations that we are providing Iran with intelligence,” he said, emphasizing that the locations of US military bases in the Gulf — some of which have been targeted — are publicly known.

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