Iran Warns Russia Not To Play Dangerous Games with UN’s New Sanctions

Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Russia against the support of new sanctions at the UN Security Council. If Russia supports the sanctions against the Islamic Republic, it may become Iran’s enemy. The president also threatened to pull out from the talks about the Iranian nuclear program if the Security Council approved such a resolution.

Photo: Iran Warns Russia Not To Play Dangerous Games with UN’s New Sanctions

Ahmadinejad stated during his speech in Turkey’s Istanbul that Moscow should behave carefully as far as the decision about the sanctions was concerned. Russia should not take the decisions, which Iran may perceive as a step to take the side of Iran’s enemies, Ahmadinejad stated hinting at Moscow’s approval of the draft resolution.

Russia Today: Russia against hasty measures against Iran

The president of the Islamic Republic traditionally criticized the United States of America.

“If the U.S. and its allies think they could hold the stick of sanctions and then sit and negotiate with us, they are seriously mistaken,” he told a news conference.

“The Tehran declaration provided an opportunity for the United States government and its allies. We had hoped and we are still hopeful that they use the opportunity well,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said. “I must say opportunities like this will not be repeated again. We were thinking that the United States President Barack Obama would make certain changes in the United States policies. We don’t say that we are hopeless. We hope that he can actually get over the present conditions in the time that remains. We are ready for dialogue within the frame of justice and respect,” he added.

Russia ’s PM Putin, who also takes part in the security summit in Istanbul, said that he would be ready to meet Ahmadinejad in Istanbul to discuss the nuclear issue. Such a meeting could be possible, if the Iranian president finds it to be necessary, Putin said.

“The President of Iran is here, and we will see each other during the work of the conference. I think we will have an opportunity to discuss the problems if my Iranian counterpart sees such a necessity,” Putin said.

The new sanctions stipulate the introduction of serious financial restrictions and the establishment of tough control over shipments, including the embargo on arms deliveries. Several countries, including Brazil and Turkey, do not support the resolution, but they do not hold the veto right at the UN Security Council. Constant members of the council support the resolution unanimously .

The Russian prime minister tried to calm the Iranian authorities down.

“Resolutions must not put Iran, the Iranian administration and the Iranian nation in a predicament which would impede the development of peaceful nuclear industry,” Putin said Tuesday.

Putin also said that the nuclear power plant in Bushehr – the project in which Russia takes direct participation – would be complete in August. The plant will be launched the same month too, Interfax reports.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said during the summit that there were no complications in the relations between Russia and Iran. He also urged the West to approve the Iran-Turkey-Brazil nuclear fuel swap deal and said that the trilateral initiative was the last opportunity to regulate the Iranian nuclear program.

Foreign ministers of Iran, Brazil and Turkey signed an agreement on May 17^th in Teheran in accordance with which Iran undertakes to ship 1.2 tons of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey.

The Vienna Group (Russia, the USA, France and the IAEA) will provide 120 kilos of 20-percent nuclear fuel within one year. The fuel will be used for the work of the research reactor in Teheran. The Iranian administration previously insisted on a synchronized exchange of fuel inside Iran.

The next day, however, the USA submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council in a move to introduce new sanctions against Iran. The resolution particularly calls upon all UN members to be cautious with money wires through Iranian banks because it would nullify the support to the nation’s nuclear program from within.

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