Iran strike by US would be playing with fire: Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that if the United States launches a new attack on Iran, it will have dangerous consequences. He emphasized that Tehran's nuclear program should be kept peaceful, for which diplomacy should be promoted. In an interview with the Al-Arabiya channel, Lavrov said that previous attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have already created serious dangers. "He said the consequences are not good and everyone understands that it will be playing with fire.

These statements came a day after US and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva, aimed at reducing fresh tensions between Tehran and Washington. Lavrov said that regional parties, particularly Arab states and Gulf countries, are indicating that they do not want an increase in tensions, warning that another collision could undermine recent diplomatic progress.

According to a senior US official, Tehran is expected to present a written proposal explaining how it advises resolving the dispute with Washington. Meanwhile, US national security officials are seeing military preparations in the region, and it is expected that the forces will be fully deployed by mid-March.

Washington's position is that Iran should abandon its nuclear program, while Tehran denies that it wants nuclear weapons and says it has the right to acquire nuclear energy. Lavrov said that Moscow is in close contact with Iran and understands that Tehran wants to resolve the dispute within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and that any agreement should respect Iran's legal rights, but its enrichment activities should remain peaceful.

Regarding Syria, Lavrov said that Russia is currently negotiating with the new Syrian leadership to maintain its key military bases, "As for our military centers, the talks are ongoing, I want to repeat once again that the Syrians want our presence to continue." Lavrov said that the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit are the basis on which Russia's relations with Syria are established.

He said that Syrian President Ahmed Sharq has visited Russia twice in less than four months, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaybani has met with Russian officials several times in a year, which indicates that both sides attach importance to these relations. Lavrov said that Moscow's presence in Syria, particularly in Khmeimim and Tartous, is seen as a stabilizing balance compared to other parties. Russia has long provided financial and military support to former Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted after nearly 15 years of civil war. It is clear that Assad fled to Russia in December 2024.