Russia warns strike on Iran would be 'disastrous'
Russia has starkly warned Israel and the United States
against attacking Iran, saying Moscow sees no evidence that Tehran's nuclear
program is aimed at developing weapons, the Interfax news agency reported on
Thursday.
"We warn those who are no strangers to military
solutions ... that this would be harmful, literally disastrous for regional
stability," Interfax quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as
saying.
An attack on Iran "would set off deep shocks in the
security and economic spheres that would reverberate far beyond the boundaries
of the Middle East region," Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
Russian officials have issued similar warnings in the
past, but Ryabkov's remarks appeared to underscore Moscow's concern about the
possibility that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
Heightened Israeli rhetoric about the facilities, which
Western powers believe are part of a program to develop a nuclear weapons
capability, has stoked speculation that Israel may attack Iran before the US
presidential election in November.
Ryabkov said there were no indications of a military
nuclear program and suggested monitoring by the UN nuclear agency was a strong
guarantee.
"We, as before, see no signs that there is a
military dimension to Iran's nuclear program. No signs," Interfax quoted
Ryabkov - Russia's point man for diplomacy on Iran's nuclear program - as
saying.
"We see something different - that there is nuclear
material ... in Iran that is under the control of inspectors, specialists of
the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"This nuclear material is not being shifted to
military needs, this is officially confirmed by the (IAEA)."
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