Iran hails Russian rebuff of US bombing threat
Senior Iranian lawmaker Abolfazl Zohrevand has expressed gratitude to Russia for condemning American threats against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program. Speaking exclusively to RT, he also suggested that Washington was attempting to lure Tehran into a 'propaganda trap.'
The two countries began negotiations in Oman in April. US President Donald Trump has warned that if Iran does not 'make a deal, there will be bombing.'
In an interview with RT on Friday, Zohrevand, who is a member of the Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, praised Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova for clearly articulating Moscow's opposition to the threats.
The lawmaker also warned that Iran should be cautious not to fall into the 'trap' set by the US.
'The atmosphere that is being created by the Americans cannot be deemed credible,' Zohrevand stated, stressing that this was his personal opinion.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, Zakharova described threats to target Iranian nuclear facilities as 'irresponsible,' emphasizing that such a strike would lead to 'catastrophic consequences' for the whole world.
'It should be obvious to everyone that the path toward the resolution of [issues] surrounding Iran's nuclear program is through diplomacy only,' she added.
Following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that same day, President Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform that 'President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.'
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that 'President Putin said that we are ready to use [our close relations with Tehran]… to help contribute positively to the ongoing talks.'
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that his country was prepared to 'give assurances to all sides about the peaceful nature of our nuclear program.'
Responding last month to Washington's demand that Tehran stop all uranium enrichment, the diplomat dismissed it as 'completely detached from the reality of negotiations.'
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was rendered null and void after President Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from it during his first term, claiming that it was toothless.
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