Lavrov to hold urgent meeting with Ahmadinejad
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to depart for Tehran on a short working visit to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today.
Lavrov's visit is to take place against the backdrop of growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have been fueled by the latter's nuclear program. Iran has denied developing nuclear weapons, while it has insisted on its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program.
UN atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Sunday he had no evidence that Iran is building nuclear weapons and accused U.S. leaders of adding "fuel to the fire" with recent bellicose rhetoric.
We haven't received any information there is a parallel, ongoing, active nuclear weapon program," he told CNN.
"Second, even if Iran were to be working on nuclear weapons ... they are at least a few years away from having such weapon," he said, citing Washington's own intelligence assessments.
"My fear is that if we continue to escalate from both sides that we will end up into a precipice, we will end up into an abyss. The Middle East is in a total mess, to say the least. And we cannot add fuel to the fire."
In recent months, Bush has predicted "nuclear holocaust" and "World War III" if Tehran gets atomic weapons, while Vice President Cheney has warned of "serious consequences" for Iran if it defies global demands to freeze uranium enrichment - echoing the UN resolution that Washington says authorized war in Iraq.
The Lavrov-Ahmadinejad talks will take place 2 weeks after the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iran. It's not ruled out that the parties will discuss the possibility of Iranian leader's visit to Russia, the RosBusinessConsulting reports.
Lavrov's visit is to take place against the backdrop of growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have been fueled by the latter's nuclear program. Iran has denied developing nuclear weapons, while it has insisted on its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program.
UN atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Sunday he had no evidence that Iran is building nuclear weapons and accused U.S. leaders of adding "fuel to the fire" with recent bellicose rhetoric.
We haven't received any information there is a parallel, ongoing, active nuclear weapon program," he told CNN.
"Second, even if Iran were to be working on nuclear weapons ... they are at least a few years away from having such weapon," he said, citing Washington's own intelligence assessments.
"My fear is that if we continue to escalate from both sides that we will end up into a precipice, we will end up into an abyss. The Middle East is in a total mess, to say the least. And we cannot add fuel to the fire."
In recent months, Bush has predicted "nuclear holocaust" and "World War III" if Tehran gets atomic weapons, while Vice President Cheney has warned of "serious consequences" for Iran if it defies global demands to freeze uranium enrichment - echoing the UN resolution that Washington says authorized war in Iraq.
The Lavrov-Ahmadinejad talks will take place 2 weeks after the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iran. It's not ruled out that the parties will discuss the possibility of Iranian leader's visit to Russia, the RosBusinessConsulting reports.
