Russia warns Israel: Attacking Iran catastrophic for Middle East

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/228019.html

Russia has once again warned Israel of the “catastrophic consequences” of a military attack against Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

"The scenario of military action against Iran would be catastrophic for the region and possibly the whole system of international relations," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Wednesday.

“Therefore I hope Israel understands all these consequences ... and they should also consider the consequences of such action for themselves," the Russian official added.

Gatilov’s remarks came as Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said on Sunday that attacking Iran is “not prudent at this point” as it "would be destabilizing."

"I'm confident that they (Israel) understand our concerns that a strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn't achieve their long-term objectives," Dempsey added.

Israeli officials have recently ramped up their war rhetoric, threatening Iran with military strikes in case the US-engineered sanctions against the country fail to force Tehran into abandoning its civilian nuclear program.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program, using this pretext to impose sanctions against Iran and threaten the country with military attack.

Iran has refuted the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful use.

The IAEA has never found any evidence indicating that Tehran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted towards nuclear weapons production.