Russia will make every effort to prevent a war against Iran: Russian PM

TEHRAN,March 3(MNA) – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will do everything possible to prevent a war against Iran. “We will be doing everything possible to prevent armed conflict in Iran or around it. If it happened, it would have direct, negative consequences for us,” Putin told editors-in-chief of several leading foreign newspapers in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow, RT reported on Friday. Russia wants no armed conflict in connection with Iran, he stated. He added, “I think no one is interested in the situation getting out of control.” Putin also expressed hope that Iran will fully restore cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying, “We believe it is necessary to secure a possibility for Iran to develop a peaceful nuclear program, of course, fully controlled by the IAEA.” Israeli officials have repeatedly issued threats of military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran alleging that it is seeking to produce nuclear weapons. U.S. officials have also said that all options are on the table if diplomacy fails to prevent Iran from developing its nuclear program. The main bone of contention between Tehran and the West is Iran’s uranium enrichment program. As an IAEA member and a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory, Iran has the legal right to produce nuclear fuel for its research reactors and nuclear power plants.