Russia always acts in support of Iran’s legal rights/ the return of sanctions is a “disgrace to diplomacy”.

According to Isna, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network on Monday evening: “The Europeans and Westerners tried to blame Iran for the collapse of the JCPOA with their hostile actions, although Iran never violated this document.”

The Russian Foreign Minister continued: “The United States announced in 2018 that it no longer adheres to this decision of the United Nations Security Council. Currently, the entire world order regarding Iran is severely tested, and it must be said about the JCPOA that the agreement was trashed by the United States. Then the West, especially the Europeans, accused Iran of following the United States.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia stated that his country is in contact with the American government regarding the issue of Iran and said: “We are cooperating with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have channels to communicate with the US government. Europe does not want to communicate with us. All of them are delusional. It is their choice. “We don’t have much to talk about with European leaders like this, but we are presenting our approaches to the Americans on how to normalize the current situation around the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Regarding the aggression of the Zionist regime against Iran with the cooperation of the United States, Sergey Lavrov said: “We condemned these attacks, which had no legitimacy, and so far no solid evidence has been presented that Iran has violated, neither by the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor by the Israelis or the Americans. »

He added: “We are ready to support Iran to overcome this crisis, both in relations with the Agency and in relations with the West.” We understand your position. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly told Iran’s President Massoud Madhjian and his representatives that we will adopt the position that the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran chooses for itself and for the interests of the Iranian people.

In the continuation of this interview, the Russian Foreign Minister said, referring to Tehran-Moscow relations: “I have already told you that they (the West) are lying. Let them cite at least one example where we have betrayed another country, our old friend and ally, for the sake of improving relations with another country, no matter how big or powerful. “It is never an example that can be used to convince other countries that Russia is untrustworthy.”

Emphasizing that Russia has many plans with Iran, Lavrov said: “Regarding the economy, I must say that relations will be opened in this regard. “We also have close cooperation with Iran on all three North-South transportation routes, and our bilateral plans are serious. Although the West wants to separate the 5 coastal countries of the Caspian Sea, it constantly intends to infiltrate the region and dictate its decisions, but Russia has many cooperation and plans with Iran.”

While calling the return of sanctions against Iran a “disgrace of diplomacy”, Lavrov said: “I believe that it was a disgrace for European diplomacy that they decided to return sanctions against Iran by deception, and three European countries (Britain, France and Germany) followed through with the reimposition of sanctions against Iran.”

He emphasized about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program: “We defend Iran’s unconditional rights to access peaceful nuclear energy. In addition, the Bushehr nuclear power plant is being built as an important project, and the presidents of Russia and Iran have a serious determination to develop relations comprehensively.

Regarding Iran’s relations with the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, the Russian Foreign Minister said: “There is a very good format and a bright future that will definitely help strengthen security in the region, I mean the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, your six neighbors in the Persian Gulf.” We also hope in any way that the normalization of relations between Iran and these Arab kingdoms, especially the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, will make it possible to advance the forms of strengthening security.”

In response to a question about whether Russia will stand by Iran if Iran goes into a war beyond the 12-day war, Lavrov said: “We have a strategic partnership agreement with Iran, as I said, and we will always act in support of Iran and the legal rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” “In recent months, Iran has clearly stated several times that it is not interested in war, it is not interested in new conflicts, and it is interested in solving any problems through dialogue, and I emphasize again that whatever problems arise, based on respect for the sovereign and legal rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we fully support this position.”

Russian-American relations

Stating that there are still reasonable people in the United States and Europe who support the restoration of the principles of arms limitation and control, the Russian Foreign Minister said: “Today there are reasonable people, including in the United States and some European countries, as well as in the structures in which both our countries participate, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. They are the people who support the restoration of arms control and limitation frameworks, including transparency measures. Iran and Russia have actively supported this approach.

Since 2008, Russia has proposed that its European and American neighbors agree on security principles in Europe, and repeated initiatives were made in 2009 and 2021, but the Russian foreign minister added that these proposals were ignored.

Lavrov also said: “We told the West that encouraging Ukraine to confront the Russian Federation and flood it with weapons is putting it on a dangerous path. We proposed an agreement on security principles and drafted a treaty to ensure that NATO does not seek further expansion. But the West, with its arrogance, ignored all this. So here we are.”

Ukraine war

Describing Europe’s approach to the war in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Minister said: “Europe is like a failed doctor who tries to diagnose his patients and randomly prescribes pills to relieve the symptoms, even for a short time. These European doctors did not want to diagnose the disease.”

Lavrov stated that Europe is at war with Russia by injecting Kiev with weapons, money and information: “Now Europe is once again at war with the Ukrainians under the Nazi banner, using money, trainers and all the Western intelligence and reconnaissance data, while Europe is increasingly injecting Ukraine with more modern weapons.” “Militarism is being revived in Germany, and the last time this happened, it was under the slogans of National Socialism and the conquest of other nations.”

Gaza war

In another part of this interview, Sergei Lavrov said, referring to the Gaza war and the cease-fire agreement: “We have now received the peace plan of US President Donald Trump. Israel and Hamas are consulting on the violation of its provisions. Therefore, further implementation of this peace plan is in question.”

He added: “We were with those who welcomed Donald Trump’s initiative because this plan made it possible to end a vital humanitarian phase of this crisis, return the bodies and release the remaining prisoners and imprisoned members of Hamas, but it is difficult for me to imagine what will happen in the future.”

Emphasizing the issue of the establishment of the Palestinian state, Lavrov said: “The establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the cornerstone of resolving the Middle East crisis.”

He emphasized: “The issue of Palestine is not limited to one Security Council resolution, but there are dozens of resolutions in the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly that consider the establishment of a Palestinian state mandatory. The formation of the Palestinian state is considered to be the basic condition for the normalization of relations between Arab and Islamic countries with Israel.

The Russian Foreign Minister pointed to the Arab Peace Initiative and said: “This plan has been proposed by Saudi Arabia since 2002. This initiative gradually became the common position of the Islamic world and the approval of this initiative was done at the Tehran Summit.

At the end of this issue, Lavrov pointed out: “The position of Islamic countries is clear; Implementation of legal rights of Palestinians is a prerequisite for any normalization of relations with Israel. The Palestinians must achieve the rights they are entitled to under international law and have been promised many times. After realizing these rights, the process of normalizing relations can begin.”

Syrian developments

In response to a question about the last days of the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian Foreign Minister said: “Al-Jolani (Syria’s interim president) did not follow any coordination or approach with us. Of course, we had close relations with Assad.”

Sergey Lavrov further added: “We came to the aid of his government in 2015, when Damascus was practically besieged and could fall at any moment to attacks prepared by the opposition.” Yes, we came to help, established our military presence there, opened 2 air and naval bases and actively worked to destroy terrorist hotbeds. We cooperated with other countries of the international community, first of all with the Islamic Republic of Iran and with Türkiye. I can say that the process was relatively positive. We remember the conference of the Syrian people in Sochi, I think it was in 2018 and certain agreements were reached. But the agreements we reached with the Iranians and Turkish friends were somehow not implemented every time. Of course, everything was not dependent on Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“We didn’t have combat units in Syria when the events started a year ago,” Lavrov said. We had 2 bases, air and sea; And the speed at which the opposition under the leadership of al-Julani took the territories was actually unexpected. “There was practically no resistance and now we are in contact with the new authorities.”

European approach

Lavrov stressed: “Europe should mind its own business and not care about America.” “Also, America’s first priority is to deal with China and it does not want to remain in the second place.”

The Russian Foreign Minister said: “The assets of Iran, Venezuela and some other countries have been similarly blocked by the West. These actions show the increasing desire of the West to confiscate the property of countries. Now, even among the Western countries themselves, there are differences and discussions about the possibility of confiscating Russian assets. Also, stealing is in the blood of Europeans, and the tendency to steal in the West is genetic.”

He argued: “In the West, rational and healthy voices are heard, but these voices are often silenced under the pressure of the Brussels (EU) political environment.”

Sergey Lavrov said about Western sanctions: “When the Americans impose sanctions, they directly say that the reason is the political positions of a certain country or a certain person, which of course is inequality and disrespect for human rights, it is dictation and imposition.” “When these sanctions are related to banning the activities of the largest global companies, such as the private Russian company Lukoil and the state-owned company Rosneft, I see nothing but a desire to suppress competitors with dirty methods.”

The Russian Foreign Minister added: “This means that the West, including the United States, no longer has enough strength to fight fairly and has to resort to dirty, anti-democratic and anti-market methods to maintain its dominance.”

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