MOSCOW, March 20 (Itar-Tass) —— Strikes on Iranian nuclear sites may slow down the Iranian nuclear program but they are unable to liquidate it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the radio Kommersant FM on Tuesday.
“Scientists in practically all countries, who analyze this totally unnecessary scenario, are convinced that strikes may slow down the Iranian nuclear program. But they will never cancel it, close it down or liquidate it,” the minister said.
A meeting of the Sextet and Iran may take place already in April, added Lavrov. “A meeting of Iran, the European Troika, the United States, China and Russia chaired by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton must be held as soon as possible. Hopefully, it will take place in April,” the minister said.
“We strongly condemn the threats to Israel made by the president and other officials in Tehran. That was simply uncivilized and unbecoming of such an ancient country as Iran, such an ancient people with a great culture,” he said.
The foreign political rhetoric of the kind seeks internal goals in the Islamic world, he said. “This is the wish to keep in the anti-Israeli mood those on whom the Iranians count in the region. We strongly reject this conduct and I am absolutely positive that Iran will never fulfill its threats, at least because the region is too small. A threat to destroy Israel without destroying Palestine sounds too unrealistic,” he said.