There is no proof that Iran is working toward the creation of nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
However in order for UN sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic to be lifted, Iran must prove its nuclear program has a 100% peaceful character, Lavrov told the U.S. PBS TV channel.
Any attack on Iran would have “negative” consequences for the region, he warned.
Russia had voted in favor of the UN sanctions against Iran in order to demonstrate that it would not stand for any violation of the nonproliferation regime, he went on.
International pressure on Iran increased in early February when Tehran announced it had begun enriching uranium to 20 percent in lieu of an agreement on an exchange that would provide it with fuel for a research reactor.
In June, the UN Security Council passed a resolution imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.