Russia Rejects US Threats for Iran Sanctions

AntiWar - Speaking today in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected US threats to press for more sanctions against the Iranian government, insisting that the focus should be on diplomacy and that the repeated threats were “counterproductive.”

Lavrov’s comments came following a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was attempting to get specific guarantees from Russia to support new sanctions against Iran. The effort was, as Lavrov’s comments indicate, unsuccessful.

Despite this, State Department officials claim that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave Secretary Clinton assurances behind closed doors that Russia was still willing to back the sanctions if Iran didn’t implement the Geneva deal. Read more.