MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. The latest calls for Tehran to engage in talks might not be oriented toward peace at all, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. 

"The current cycle of US-Israeli aggression against Iran began in the middle of talks on the country's nuclear program. It turned out that Washington had used the negotiations as a cover. The very fact that diplomatic talks had been used to cover up preparations for war overtly discredits diplomacy," she pointed out. 

"It’s now clear that the conflict is not going according to plan. Perhaps, this latest round of calls for talks is aimed at creating conditions for a regrouping of forces and adjustment of military plans," Zakharova added. 

According to her, Russia’s fundamental position remains unchanged. "We believe that talks are the only reasonable way to find a solution to the severe crisis into which the US-Israeli duo has plagued the Middle East, and the world, for that matter," the senior Russian diplomat stressed. 

"The current crisis can lead to a nuclear disaster, among other things. Russia has consistently called for a swift end to violence and the launch of dialogue aimed at finding a long-term and sustainable solution. We remain ready to contribute to the process," Zakharova noted. 

"As for the fate of the nuclear materials that Iran has accumulated, neither the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty nor the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement sets any limits on the amount of nuclear materials that a non-nuclear country can have as the result of enrichment, provided nuclear activities are controlled by the IAEA. That said, voluntary measures by Tehran are the only option, while Iran’s legitimate right under the NPT cannot be called into question. It’s up to Iran to decide how to use this right," Zakharova emphasized.