Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any new U.S. military strike on Iran would carry serious consequences, urging restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts to ensure Iran’s nuclear programme remains peaceful.
Speaking in an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya television aired on Wednesday, Lavrov said further escalation could trigger severe regional fallout, particularly given the risks associated with strikes on nuclear facilities.
“The consequences would be very dangerous,” Lavrov said, noting that previous attacks on Iranian nuclear sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency had already raised the risk of a nuclear incident. “From what we can judge, there were real risks.”
The interview was published a day after U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Geneva aimed at easing rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Lavrov said countries across the Middle East, including Arab states and Gulf monarchies, were strongly opposed to further escalation. “No one wants an increase in tension. Everyone understands this is playing with fire,” he said.
He warned that heightened tensions could reverse recent diplomatic progress in the region, including improved relations between Iran and neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran was expected to submit a written proposal outlining how it intends to resolve its dispute with the United States following the Geneva talks.
The official added that U.S. national security advisers met at the White House the same day and were informed that American military forces deployed to the region should be fully in place by mid-March.
Washington has repeatedly demanded that Iran abandon its nuclear programme, a demand Tehran has firmly rejected, insisting it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Lavrov said Arab governments were sending clear messages to the United States calling for restraint and for an agreement that respects Iran’s legal rights while guaranteeing that its nuclear enrichment activities remain exclusively peaceful.
He added that Moscow remains in close and regular contact with Iranian leaders and sees no reason to doubt Tehran’s willingness to resolve the issue within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.