Belarus calls to avoid use of force against Iran

PanARMENIAN.Net - The increased international military presence around Iran may “boost instability, uncertainty and unpredictability,” Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Savinykh said on Thursday, Feb 2.

“The massive intensification of the U.S and Western European countries’ military presence in the Strait of Hormuz destabilizes the situation. We hope that both sides will adhere to the norms of international law in resolving their disputes,” RIA Novosti quoted Savinykh as saying.

On January 23, the EU voted to ban oil imports from Iran. The move came after the Islamic Republic announced earlier this month that it had launched a nuclear enrichment program at a well-protected underground facility near the holy Shia city of Qom.

The program envisions enriching uranium to the 20-percent level, which can easily be turned into fissile warhead material.

The embargo is set to come into force in July, but Iran has said it may cut crude oil shipments to Europe before then.

Iran has also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the main export route for oil supplies from the Middle East.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that sanctions on Iran could push up oil prices 20-30 percent to $140 per barrel unless alternative supplies from developing countries come on line.

Belarus also faces several sets of U.S.- and EU-imposed sanctions targeting President Alexander Lukashenko and other officials and companies over the crackdown on the opposition following presidential elections in December 2010.