Russia offers mediation of talks between Tehran, Washington: Ryabkov
3 Min Read
Trump previously threatened Tehran with bombing "the likes of which they have never seen" unless a new nuclear deal is reached.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov gestures while speaking to the media at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, February 10, 2025. (AP)
Russia warned of United States airstrikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, condemning US President Donald Trump's threats to bomb Tehran unless a deal with Washington is reached.
"Threats are indeed being heard, ultimatums are also being heard," Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov told International Affairs in an interview published Tuesday, adding, "We consider such methods inappropriate, we condemn them, we consider them a way for (the US) to impose its own will on the Iranian side."
Russia proposed mediation between Trump’s administration and Iran, following their strategic partnership deal earlier this year.
Ryabkov said that Trump's threats to Iran only complicate the situation between the two countries, emphasizing that if the US administration follows up with its warnings and strikes Iranian nuclear facilities, the consequences could be catastrophic for the entire region.
"While there is still time and the 'train has not left', we need to redouble our efforts to try to reach an agreement on a reasonable basis. Russia is ready to offer its good services to Washington, Tehran, and everyone who is interested in this," the deputy foreign minister stated.
Iran stands steadfast to US threats
Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, cautioned on March 31 that any US or Israeli strike targeting Iran's nuclear sites would push Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons development.
He argued that attacking Iran's nuclear facilities would backfire against US interests, warning, "Under such circumstances, we would have no choice but to reconsider our stance and potentially seek nuclear arms as a deterrent."
Larijani warned that any military strike on Iran would only strengthen domestic resolve to fast-track nuclear weapons development, adding that due to Iran's preparedness, such an attack would only delay the nuclear program temporarily – by no more than two years.
On March 31, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, delivered a stern warning, asserting that any entity considering hostile actions toward Iran would be met with a severe and proportionate retaliation, while also stressing that efforts to provoke internal division would be decisively countered by the Iranian people, as they have shown in previous instances.
Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the naval forces in Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), warned "foreign parties" against threatening Iranian interests, stating, "If foreigners attempt to attack us, pressure us, or endanger our interests, we will stand against them with full force."
At the same time, he emphasized that "Iran does not seek war but will respond firmly to any aggression."
