Tehran, Jan. 22, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday cautioned the US and its Western allies over rushing toward severe sanctions if Tehran refuses to accept a Western proposal to ship domestically enriched uranium stocks to other countries for processing.

 

Lavrov said international agencies are working with Tehran and hoped this cooperation will continue in a constructive manner.  He also warned against over-reacting or trying to push Tehran into a corner. ‘If our logic is to punish Iran, or if we take up the posture of the offended... this will not be a sober approach, it is not a simple situation and it is not made any easier by the domestic political situation in Iran,’ Reuters quoted Lavrov as saying. The Russian Foreign Minster then said, ‘We must not take any steps that could open up risks to the work of the agency in this country.’

 

Last Saturday, China rebuffed Western demands to push for additional sanctions against Iran. In a high level meeting where top representative from the United States, UK, France, and Germany were present, China sent a low-ranking UN official. The meeting ended without any conclusive agreement on the issue. Russian representative also attended the meeting.

 

The United States and certain other European states, have always  tried to portray the Iranian nuclear program as a danger to the whole world through extensive media campaign. The same countries never mention the illegal possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, which does not allow international inspectors to visit nuclear sites.

 

On the other hand Iran as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty enjoys constructive cooperation with the IAEA and its domestic nuclear program has been found to be fully transparent by all international standards.