'None Of Your Business': Russia Draws Iran Nuclear Red Line; Lavrov Blasts 'NEO-COLONIAL' U.S

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]President uh Vladimir Putin in his contacts with American and Israeli representatives as well as while recently hosting the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran in St. Petersburg has consistently emphasized that we are able to play a constructive role provided that both sides are genuinely interested. In the same way, our firm diplomatic position proved instrumental in securing the 2015 international agreement aimed at resolving the complex situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program.

[00:00:38]We played uh I repeat a very important decisive role in determining the actions that would resolve the issue of the remaining highly enriched and in general enriched uranium on Iranian territory.

[00:00:54]We are ready to do this now as well especially since the nuclear aspect of the settlement judging by the reports by what we hear and the information we're receiving is once again coming to the forefront. Our position here is very simple.

[00:01:09]The core uh fundamental principle at play here is that the nation of Iran, much like any other sovereign state that is a party to the international treaty on the non-prololiferation of nuclear weapons, possesses the absolute and full legal right to engage in the enrichment of uranium for strictly peaceful energy related purposes. Uh I have read uh reports uh suggesting that this type of diplomatic correspondence is currently being conducted between uh the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran uh through Pakistani intermediaries or perhaps through other channels. I am not in a position to confirm this uh the actual validity of this information.

[00:01:47]We have not yet seen any formal proposals. We are not trying to insert ourselves into this ongoing negotiation process. We sincerely wish for this process to be a success. President uh Vladimir Putin in his contacts with American and Israeli representatives as well as while recently hosting the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran in St. Petersburg has consistently emphasized that we are able to play a constructive role provided that both sides are genuinely interested. In the same way, our firm diplomatic position proved instrumental in securing the 2015 international agreement aimed at resolving the complex situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program.

[00:02:36]We played uh I repeat a very important decisive role in determining the actions that would resolve the issue of the remaining highly enriched and in general enriched uranium on Iranian territory.

[00:02:53]We are ready to do this now as well especially since the nuclear aspect of the settlement judging by the reports by what we hear and the information we're receiving is once again coming to the forefront. Our position here is very simple.

[00:03:09]The core uh fundamental principle at play here is that the nation of Iran, much like any other sovereign state that is a party to the international treaty on the non-prololiferation of nuclear weapons, possesses the absolute and full legal right to engage in the enrichment of uranium for strictly peaceful energy related purposes.

[00:03:28]everything else. The extent to which this right can be exercised, the extent to which it will be limited, and what additional guarantees against the diversion of a peaceful nuclear program to military purposes are required is all subject to special negotiation, just as it was in 2015 during the negotiation and approval process at the UN Security Council on the resolution that approved uh the joint comprehensive plan of action for the settlement of the situation surrounding the Iranian Ian nuclear program. I would like to mention that this particular plan it established a comprehensive framework that provided for a significantly higher level of transparency and more rigorous monitoring measures specifically regarding the scope of Iran's nuclear program which went well beyond the traditional measures and the standard set of verification activities that are typically stipulated by the IAA safeguards agreement which applies to all member states that are signaries to the non-prololiferation treaty. Iran was willing to make some very significant concessions back during that particular period of time uh by agreeing to allow for much more intrusive international atomic energy agency inspections. Uh our position uh remains exactly the same as it was uh throughout the period when that document was being negotiated. It is our stance that we will support any solutions that the parties directly involved in these negotiations. In this case, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are prepared to accept um if the Islamic Republic uh decides uh voluntarily as a gesture of goodwill to limit certain aspects of its absolutely legitimate nuclear energy program. And if this allows for achieving a sustainable long-term peace, of course, we like all other normal countries would only welcome it.

[00:05:26]However, I would like to reiterate uh once more, the fundamental criterion remains the legitimate right of Iran to enrich uranium for the purpose of peaceful nuclear energy under the strict and constant supervision of the IAA.

[00:05:39]This remains an absolutely integral, essential and uh non-negotiable uh component of any and I truly mean any potential solution. However, uh regarding the the Busher nuclear power plant, it has never uh in fact this specific facility has never been subject to any international sanctions whatsoever. It was explicitly excluded from the scope of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. And this matter concerns absolutely no no one uh other than uh the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is perfectly clear that uh uh we can exert nothing more than than moral pressure on those who indulge in colonial and neocolonial methods uh and uh attempt to live at the expense of others. uh however uh the moral and political stance of the countries that do not accept this colonial practice is very clearly set forth in the re relevant resolutions.

[00:06:38]Uh I might add by the way that uh that colonial and uh neoc colonial habits are quite simply described as the desire to live at the expense of others.

[00:06:50]Uh and and these sanctions um which have now uh literally flooded all documents concerning the foreign policy decisions of both the European Union and the United States are first and foremost a tool. vakos um which will allow them to continue living at the expense of others as a tool of unfair competition in violation and destruction of all those criteria and principles of globalization that the United States itself had promoted for many decades while shaping the global economic trade and uh investment uh landscape primarily to suit its own interests. Um as soon as they began to suffer uh defeat on this playing field by their own rules and criteria in in fair competition, they um resorted to well they had used them before but at this stage an unprecedented number of uh illegal unilateral restrictions appeared in the practical arsenal of the United States. Uh I have not heard that uh anyone within this organization known as Eurovvision has recently offered any kind of public statement or commentary regarding any matters that are in any way related to the country of Russia. Uh well, you know, it turns out we're being brought up not just in the European Union where they say we'll think about uh whether or not to talk to Russia. And now it seems even so-called modern musicians are saying we'll think about uh whether to invite Russia. I want to say right away that we won't meet the criteria that are currently uh we need to determine exactly which uh Eurovvision participants are performing and which of them well are truly clear-cut examples of blatant Satanism.

[00:08:43]We simply won't be able to handle it quite honestly.

[00:08:47]uh that is precisely the reason why we feel uh entirely and perfectly comfortable within those specific international structures such as the BRICS alliance or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for example.

[00:09:00]other multilateral organization with Russian participation that in addition to political, security, trade, economic and investment issues are also engaged in expanding cultural, humanitarian, educational and other ties.

[00:09:16]This principle is equally applicable to the vast realms of musical performances and various major international sporting events. We are currently witnessing a significantly growing number of new initiatives, specifically those being developed within the BRICS framework which are primarily aimed at uh um uh in the spirit of traditional values, in the spirit of the cultural, musical and other traditions of the peoples that make up uh bricks in this particular case to hold relevant events to preserve and enrich uh the art uh uh that has developed over centuries in the respective territories.

[00:09:58]Um an intervision was born precisely within the context of this grand unification of traditional arts from all the various nations that currently comprise the entire bricks alliance.

[00:10:11]Following uh the inaugural intervision event which took place in Moscow this past September, our Saudi colleagues have officially announced that they will host the next edition of the contest in 2026.

[00:10:25]Uh the timeline uh has not yet been determined and I sincerely hope that the consequences of the aggression unleashed uh in the Persian Gulf by the Americans and Israel will not affect the plans for holding this competition. The second stage of which is to take place this year.