Renewed Attacks on Iran Close Door to Conflict Resolution – Lavrov

The resumption of airstrikes against Iran closes the door to a resolution to the conflict surrounding the Islamic Republic. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this at a press conference following talks with Chad Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, TASS informs.

"The most important thing is that this does not lead to a settlement. This closes the door that the memorandum you mentioned (of understanding signed with Washington – TASS) seemed to have opened," Lavrov noted, responding to a question about Russia's view of the recent resumption of airstrikes against Iran.

The US and Israel launched a war with Iran on February 28. Airstrikes killed, among others, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Subsequently, US-Iranian talks on the implementation of the memorandum were held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, brokered by Doha and Islamabad. As noted in a joint statement by Qatar and Pakistan following the first round of dialogue, the meeting, attended by representatives of Iran and the US, was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, with encouraging progress achieved, including the establishment of a foundation for further technical consultations.

However, on the night of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating the terms of the agreements reached regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated on July 13 that Tehran had never violated the memorandum signed with the United States, and that Washington bears full responsibility for its failure to implement it.