Lavrov Depicts How U.S. Is Losing Its Diplomatic Skills

Sept. 25, 2020 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, when asked during a joint press conference with the Iranian foreign minister about U.S. threats to sanction anyone who acts contrary to U.S. claims that UN sanctions have been reimposed on Iran, said: “These attempts have no prospects,” and are “further proof of Washington’s desire to move like a bull in a china shop, putting ultimatums to everyone and punishing everyone indiscriminately because, in my view, the incumbent U.S. administration has lost its diplomatic skills almost for good.”

Lavrov continued: “Nonetheless, we are continuing to maintain our dialogue with the Americans, trying to make them listen to reason and to explain to them that an approach to international law like this has absolutely no prospects, but I do not know if our efforts will be successful.”

Lavrov couldn’t say what other countries might do in the face of these U.S. threats. “Russia definitely will not build its policy taking into account these aggressive and unlawful demands that have no legal force,” he said. “Hopefully, other countries cooperating with Iran will take a principled approach and be guided by their national interests rather than the need to obey the directives issued from overseas.”

Earlier during the press conference, Lavrov emphasized the Russian commitment to defending the 2015 nuclear deal. “We emphasized that Moscow and Tehran, as well as the entire international community are categorically opposed to any U.S. demands to introduce some indefinite arms embargo and invoke the ‘snapback’ mechanism” to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. UNSC 2231 “remains fully valid in this respect,” he said. “Iran continues its constructive cooperation with the IAEA. We confirmed today that the only way to preserve the JCPOA lies through its consistent and full implementation by all parties involved, with account of assumed commitments and in strict accordance with the terms and the time frames fixed in 2015 and confirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

“In this context, we reaffirmed that in less than a month, the last restrictions on cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, contained in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, will expire,” Lavrov said, referring to the UN arms embargo, which expires on Oct. 18.