Iran Deal Will Free The Middle East Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Russia

Russia said it would actively participate in implementing the Iran nuclear deal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday the deal would play a significant role in “strengthening the nonproliferation regime in general.”

Lavrov said the Iran deal would have a positive influence on the Middle East situation, also affecting the Persian Gulf and North Africa. At the same time, the deal will allow other issues in the region to be approached, he said.

"This concerns two issues directly mentioned in the documents, such as the removal of low-enriched uranium from Iran to Russia in exchange for supplies of natural uranium there," Russian news agency Tass quoted Lavrov as saying. "This also concerns the repurposing of the former enrichment facility in Fordow into a stable isotope production facility for medical and industrial aims."

The Russian foreign minister said in Vienna everyone remembered President Obama talking about the Iran deal in April 2009 in Prague. The U.S. president said the task of creating the European segment of the missile defense system would disappear if the Iran nuclear program was sorted out.

Tehran University political analyst Seyed Mohammad Marandi said Washington was using Iran “as an excuse to try to isolate Russia.” Russia Today quoted Marandi as saying, "Iran was never pursuing any weapon that would be of a threat to Europe."

Lavrov said the arms embargo against Iran would last for five years. However, if Iran passes U.N. verification procedures, it will be possible to end the embargo. Lavrov said the nuclear agreement would help create a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.