As the European Union prepares to consider further economic sanctions against Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday that sanctions against Iran are “not effective.”
Ria Novosti reports that Lavrov said on Monday that Russia believes Iran’s nuclear situation can only be resolved through diplomatic negotiations.
He added: “The threat of sanctions and aerial attacks only distances us from finding a resolution through negotiations and does not get us any closer to a solution.”
Lavrov stressed that “paths of isolation and confrontation will not get any results with Iran”
Western countries have been speaking about ratcheting up sanctions against Iran following the release of the new International Atomic Energy Agency report, which indicates that the agency cannot be certain that Iran’s nuclear program has no military dimensions.
Iran denies any military activity on the nuclear front and accuses the IAEA of becoming a political tool in the hands of Iran’s enemies.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have made statements about considering military attacks against Iran to snuff out any possible nuclear ambitions.
Iran has responded by saying it would retaliate against such an attack” at full force.”
