In an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya on Feb. 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made an important point regarding the string of events unfolding in Southwest Asia. He warned that the United States is “playing with fire” in its provocations around Iran, and that “the consequences would be adverse” for any strike on the country. However, in contrast to the brute force method of “making a deal” that President Trump has been acting upon, Lavrov highlighted a very different approach to resolving the situation.
Lavrov noted how such actions “could undermine the positive trend we have seen in recent years,” listing as examples of this the Saudi Arabia-Iran reproachment and the improved relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations in 2023 in a deal brokered by China. This landmark development paved the way for almost the entirety of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations to also warm their relations with Iran. Not mentioned by Lavrov but also a part of this picture, Iran became a member of the BRICS in 2024, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, further underscoring the “positive trend” for the region as a whole.
The Foreign Minister also defended Iran’s position when it came to negotiations with the United States, reviewing the history of the JCPOA and the US’ withdrawal, and Iran’s ensuing enrichment of higher levels of uranium. “Iran was never found violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty or its agreement on guarantees with the IAEA,” he stated, and added that Iran today “genuinely wishes to resolve this problem on the basis of respecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
Lavrov said further that Iran is prepared to reduce the level of its uranium enrichment to that required for peaceful purposes, energy and medical, and to guarantee the IAEA’s return to conduct oversight.