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Russia Issues Stern Warning against US, Israel Attack on Iran

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned against a US or Israel attack on Iran, and further said Washington’s unilateral sanction regime against Iran is a violation of international law.

Ryabkov said that Russia has found no evidence that Iran is intent on developing a weapon, and warned the United States and Israel on the “disastrous” consequences of attacking Iran.

“We warn those who are no strangers to military solutions…that this would be harmful, literally disastrous for regional stability,” Ryabkov said.

A military 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,” he said.

Saying there were no indications of a weapon component to Tehran’s nuclear program, Ryabkov pushed for continuing monitoring by the UN nuclear agency was a strong guarantee.

“As before, we see no signs that there is a military dimension to Iran’s nuclear program. No signs,” added Ryabkov, who heads Russia’s delegation in the talks between the world powers and Iran.

Meanwhile, the Russian diplomat said Washington’s unilateral sanction regime against Iran is a violation of international law.

“We cannot agree to the exterritorial use of US law, and this is what is actually happening in this very case,” Ryabkov said. “We consider such methods a gross violation of fundamental principles of international law.”

The basis of international relations should never involve such practices, he added.

The diplomat was referring to measures approved by the US Congress on August 1, which punish banks, insurance companies, and transporters that help Tehran sell its oil on international markets.

Ryabkov called the implementation of sanctions an “obsession” among an increasing number of state players.

“Unfortunately, the trend toward implementing sanctions for attaining ends…has become an obsession that responsible politicians on both sides of the Atlantic cannot overcome,” he said.

Ryabkov attributed this approach to resolving international problems to the “immaturity of policymakers,” to whom the lessons of life “cannot teach anything.”

Russia, a permanent UN Security Council member with veto power, says it opposes sanctions against Iran.

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