MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. It is too early to draw final conclusions after US President Donald Trump's statements about reaching an agreement on a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, but Russia would welcome such a development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the 11th Primakov Readings international forum of scholars and experts.
"As for the announcements that have been coming from Washington, Israel, and Tehran since 1 a.m. today, it is very difficult for us to draw any final conclusions and get a clear picture, because President Trump announced that everything is now forever and ever, there is an agreement. They say that the Americans have persuaded Israel to agree to a ceasefire and an indefinite truce, and that our Qatari friends have formulated a similar role with regard to Tehran," he said.
"We would only welcome it if such an agreement exists. But after its announcement there were reports of an exchange of blows between Israel and Iran, so let's not make any hasty conclusions based on fragmentary reports. We are for peace," he said.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia has already presented its proposals for resolving the Middle East crisis through confidential discussions with the United States, Israel, and Iran.
"These proposals were exchanged in discreet contacts with American, Israeli, and Iranian representatives, including high-level conversations," he explained. "Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran responded positively, but unfortunately, no concrete steps toward implementation have followed."
While he preferred not to disclose the details at this stage, Lavrov indicated that the proposals aimed to address the core disagreements, particularly regarding the United States and Israel’s efforts to reach an agreement by infringing upon Iran’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes - rights that are universally recognized.
"There was a solution we considered realistic," he noted. "Yesterday, the president reaffirmed our readiness: we remain willing to engage if the involved parties are interested and seek our assistance. We emphasize that we do not intend to impose ourselves; our role is to facilitate dialogue if asked."
The situation between Iran and Israel
Israel launched a military operation against Iran on June 13. Less than a day later, Iran carried out a retaliatory attack. The United States entered the conflict nine days after its escalation: on the night of June 22, the American forces attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities. On the evening of June 23, Tehran launched a missile attack on the largest American air base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. According to US authorities, there were no casualties and no significant damage was caused.
According to US President Donald Trump, Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete ceasefire. The Israeli authorities confirmed that they had accepted the US proposal and stated that they had fulfilled all the tasks they had set for themselves.