Russia Warns US, Israel Against Attacking Iran

Attacking Iran a 'Very Dangerous Idea'

Speaking today at his annual news conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned the United States and Israel against attacking Iran, calling it a “very, very dangerous idea.”

Such comments are not new, but the timing of the latest warning likely is the result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “victory speech” yesterday, in which he insisted the government would focus on moving against Iran with the election out of the way.

Netanyahu has been faulted by rivals in Israel for his eagerness to start a war with Iran, with former security officials terming it a messianic obsession. He has repeatedly cited this spring as the latest in his “red lines” for attacking Iran, but several past lines have passed without a war.

Lavrov finished the speech by urging Iran to hurry up with its negotiations with the IAEA, saying they could get deals on site access done “a little bit faster.” Iranian officials have suggested in the past they’d be more eager to open up non-nuclear military sites if they weren’t constantly being threatened with invasion, particularly since IAEA inspectors’ visits somehow seem to include passing supposedly confidential information to the international community.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.