Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, yesterday warned there was no international strategy to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme and criticised US-led proposals to push the United Nations Security Council into early action over the crisis.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Lavrov questioned plans by the US, Britain and France to call on the Security Council to ask the International Atomic Energy Agency to report on Tehran's controversial programme within 14 days, saying the deadline was "not very feasible".
Mr Lavrov's comments suggest the US will struggle to win UN Security Council backing for its calls for tough action to force Iran to cease nuclear enrichment and open itself to close scrutiny by the IAEA. The Russian foreign minister warned against rushing to transfer management of the issue from the IAEA to the Security Council.
He said that while the Security Council could usefully call upon Tehran to co-operate with the IAEA, it should not take control of all details of the Iranian case.
Such an approach would create a "highly politicised" environment that would make it more difficult forthe IAEA to carry outthe "highly technical" work of verifying the extentof Tehran's clandestine nuclear programme, said Mr Lavrov.
He warned that there was "a parallel" with the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war, referring to the fact that the UN Security Council intervened before weapons inspectors had finished their work.
"We would not like to see the situation where the value of the professional agencies would be underestimated . . . at the expense of us getting to the bottom of the facts," he said.
Mr Lavrov said he was not sure whether the Security Council could achieve unanimity. "It all depends on the specific proposals which get discussed in the Security Council, and given the lack of strategy, I don't really know what sort of proposals there might be.
"For example, when the US delegation suggests that the council must demand a report in 14 days . . . I would assume [it] would be expected to have something in mind for the discussion which is to be scheduled in a fortnight.
"But I was not informed and our delegation was not informed whether any such plans exist."
However, Mr Lavrov made clear Iran must abide by its international obligations and that nuclear non-proliferation was Moscow's top priority. "I don't approve of what the Iranian side is doing. The quite arrogant statements don't help create the necessary business-like atmosphere for the IAEA to finalise its work."
He also defended Russia's recent talks with Hamas, the militant Islamist group that won the Palestinian election in January, saying it was important to engage with Hamas leaders to encourage them to act responsibly.
Hamas, which is under intense international pressure to recognise Israel and renounce terrorism, has yet to take concrete steps since its officials visited Moscow two weeks ago. Mr Lavrov said: "Nobody expected Hamas to change overnight but the signs of a move in the right direction are certainly visible."
