A sharp rebuke echoed from Moscow, leveling accusations of diplomatic deception against the United States. The timing, officials asserted, was deliberately provocative – attacks launched not in moments of impasse, but directly during active negotiations with Tehran, marking a disturbing pattern.
The rhetoric escalated further, with pointed criticism directed at Washington’s public pronouncements. Lavrov characterized boasts of eliminating Iranian leadership as chillingly cynical, a display of callousness that undermined any pretense of good faith.
Concerns voiced by some Arab nations – the perception of being caught between two escalating conflicts – were met with a firm counter-argument. The root of the instability, Lavrov insisted, lay squarely with the aggressive actions undertaken by the US and Israel, and addressing that was paramount to any resolution.
Speculation regarding Russian intelligence sharing with Iran was dismissed as exaggerated by the media. While acknowledging the provision of military equipment to Tehran, Lavrov vehemently denied any involvement in providing intelligence support.
He underscored the publicly available nature of US military base locations in the Gulf, suggesting that any targeting by Iran was based on openly accessible information, not clandestine assistance. This pointed response aimed to deflect accusations and reframe the narrative around transparency and accountability.
