WANA (Apr 15) – Following his visit to China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed reporters that Moscow is prepared to assist in resolving the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles.

 

Proposals for Uranium Management

“As in 2015, when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was agreed upon, Russia is ready to play a role in resolving the problem of enriched uranium,” Lavrov explained.

 

He stated this includes “processing high-enriched uranium into fuel or storing a certain amount of it—anything that Iran finds acceptable without violating its inalienable right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.”

 

Critique of U.S. and Israeli Policy

Russia’s top diplomat described the collapse of the nuclear deal as a major setback for international diplomacy.

 

“The destruction of this program by the United States in 2019, something Israel always sought, is a tragic reality in modern global history. There is only hope that we can reconstruct something similar from the ruins of that very important multilateral diplomatic agreement.”

 

Negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz

Lavrov noted that Moscow insists on continued negotiations between Iran and the United States to reach a solution regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

 

“Together with China, we firmly support the continuation of these negotiations,” he said, adding that Russia and China are ready to promote any format of external support for the U.S.-Iran talks.

 

Western Influence and the Middle East Crisis

In his concluding remarks, Lavrov criticized Western interference in other regions and offered a grim outlook on the Middle East:

 

Regional Interference: He stated that the West is trying to dictate how countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus should regulate their relations.

 

Middle East Outlook: Lavrov asserted that the Middle East crisis will not be resolved anytime soon and that attempts to “settle” it will, in all probability, lead nowhere.