Top diplomat: US cannot influence Russia-Iran ties

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that US actions on the global stage reflect, in his view, a steadily weakening competitive position.

Lavrov added that Russia must continue cooperation with Iran to implement bilateral agreements, and that a third party cannot alter the nature of Moscow’s relationship with Tehran, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He also criticised Washington, saying that US measures aimed at securing oil and other resources make the United States an unreliable partner.

Lavrov said that the United States was fragmenting the international system it helped create, citing what he called an illegal operation to topple Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and threats against Iran.

“We are talking about a gross violation of international law,” Lavrov said of the U.S. operation to capture Maduro. He added that Russia remained committed to its agreements with Venezuela, a Russian ally.

“In general, this and other actions in the international arena indicate the line of our American colleagues to break the entire system that has been created for many years with their participation,” he said.

Lavrov said the entire international order — along with globalisation — had been “flushed down the drain” and was fragmenting. On U.S. threats against Iran, he said Moscow needed to keep working with Tehran and that no other country could change the nature of Russia-Iran ties.

“Our American colleagues look unreliable when they act in this way,” Lavrov told a news conference with his Namibian counterpart in Moscow.

By Aghakazim Guliyev