Russia says Iran already trapped by ‘false promises’ from US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has supported Iran’s claim that it has already found itself “trapped by false promises” by the US, reports TASS.

Lavrov cited the US’ abrupt withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal as one example of Washington’s betrayal. The deal was signed between Iran and world powers, including the US, in 2015 on the peaceful settlement of Tehran’s nuclear program.

The current Pakistan-mediated US-Iran talks, which Moscow supports, would only be successful if the sides reach an agreement similar to the JCPOA, Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Acting Libyan Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour.

Instead, Moscow sees "threats and pledges" in the US-Iran talks, Russia’s top diplomat said.

Furthermore, at the moment, there are no factual presence of either the pledges or the threats, he added.

"History teaches us to rely on fact. And we see none as of yet. We see threats, we see promises and pledges that if you do this, you will be prospering. And we see Iran’s position, which quite rightly argues that they have already found themselves trapped by false promises."

Russia is analysing the situation around the talks, understanding that the situation keeps changing, he noted, adding "the situation can make an about-face ten times within 24 hours."

The Russian side expects positive news regarding the settlement of the situation around Iran: "Both Russia and Libya advocate for the swiftest cessation of any recurrence of the use of force, for the establishment of a sustainable political and diplomatic process."

Russian hopes for the resumption of diplomatic efforts on the Middle Eastern track: "We hope that the information coming in at this very moment will be positive in terms of the resumption of diplomatic efforts, because only in this way can existing disagreements be resolved while ensuring the interests of all, I repeat, every single one of the states in the region, including our Arab friends in the Gulf."

Russia is ready to facilitate the normalization of relations between the Arab monarchies of the Gulf and Iran: "It is our belief that the recent events involving the attack on Iran and its devastating consequences for the coastal Arab states all dictate the relevance and even the urgency of additional efforts towards the normalization of relations between the Gulf’s coastal states."