Russia warns US against attacking Iran in strategy paper

Russia's Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the US on Mar. 27 for what it called over-reliance on force, and warned Washington against military action against Iran. "The international community mustn't take risks connected to the escalation of the situation around Iran until the United States takes sincere, conscientious efforts to normalize its relations with Tehran," the ministry said. "Attempts to label Tehran as part of an 'axis of evil' and statements about the need for a regime change in Tehran… exacerbate the situation." Russia criticized what it called "the creeping American strategy of dragging the global community into a large-scale crisis around Iran," saying that Tehran helps maintain stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia. The ministry's paper emphasized the need to conduct a "balanced course on Iran, protecting our national interests in that country while preventing violations of the nuclear non-proliferation regime." The ministry also hinted that Moscow would tie weapons sales to Tehran to its cooperation on the enrichment program. "Military-technical ties with Iran must develop on the basis of strict compliance with Russia's international obligations while taking into account developments related to the Iranian nuclear program," it said. Russia recently delivered 29 Tor M-1 air defense missile systems to Iran despite strong US complaints. "The myth about a unipolar world has collapsed irrevocably in Iraq," the ministry declared.