Islam Times - Russian FM: swift Iran sanctions 'serious mistake'

Lavrov: Iranian nuclear programme row can only be resolved through negotiated solution.

Imposing swift additional sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme would be a "serious mistake," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

"Today there is a real chance to conclude talks whose results should be an agreement restoring trust in the purely peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme," Lavrov said in televised remarks.

"Disrupting this chance by demanding swift imposition of sanctions would be a serious mistake," he added.

Iran is due to hold talks with six world powers over its nuclear programme on October 1, the outcome of which could determine whether the United States and its allies seek additional sanctions.

Lavrov reiterated Russia's stance that the international community should continue negotiations with Iran and warned that using military action would be "catastrophic."

"The problem of the Iranian nuclear programme can only be resolved through am all-embracing negotiated solution in a regional context, and not through force," Lavrov said.

"Attempts to use force would have catastrophic effect for the entire Middle East region," he said during a foreign policy address in Moscow.

The United Nations Security Council has already imposed three sets of sanctions against Iran over its refusal to freeze its uranium enrichment activities which "could" be used to build an atomic bomb.

Russia, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council as well as one of the six powers negotiating with Tehran, has long resisted calls for tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Russia is helping build Tehran's first civilian nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian city of Bushehr.

Tel Aviv claims that Tehran may develop its own nuclear weapon. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that actually has nuclear weapons, and wants to remain that way.

Iran insists it has the right to develop nuclear technology, which it says is aimed at generating energy for its growing population.

Observers say due the strong Jewish and pro-Israel lobbies in the US and some European countries, these countries have taken a hypocritical stance in relation to nuclear issues in the region.

Although Iran has oil, it is still dependent on petrol imports to meet about 40 percent of domestic consumption.

To add to the double standards, countries accusing Iran of seeking to make nuclear weapons are themselves in hold of atom bombs.