Moscow sees no evidence that Tehran's nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, Russian deputy FM says.
By REUTERSSergei Ryabkov 370(photo credit: Denis Sinyakov / Reuters)
MOSCOW - Russia has starkly warned Israel and the United States against attacking Iran, saying Moscow sees no evidence that Tehran's nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday."We warn those who are no strangers to military solutions ... that this would be harmful, literally disastrous for regional stability," Interfax quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.An attack on Iran "would set off deep shocks in the security and economic spheres that would reverberate far beyond the boundaries of the Middle East region," Ryabkov was quoted as saying.Russian officials have issued similar warnings in the past, but Ryabkov's remarks appeared to underscore Moscow's concern about the possibility that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear facilities.Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threatHeightened Israeli rhetoric about the facilities, which Western powers believe are part of a program to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has stoked speculation that Israel may attack Iran before the US presidential election in November.Ryabkov said there were no indications of a military nuclear program and suggested monitoring by the UN nuclear agency was a strong guarantee."We, as before, see no signs that there is a military dimension to Iran's nuclear program. No signs," Interfax quoted Ryabkov - Russia's point man for diplomacy on Iran's nuclear program - as saying."We see something different - that there is nuclear material ... in Iran that is under the control of inspectors, specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency."This nuclear material is not being shifted to military needs, this is officially confirmed by the (IAEA)."
