Russia, China, and Pakistan have submitted a draft UNSC resolution for an ‘immediate and unconditional’ ceasefire in Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on 23 June that the US-Israeli war on Iran has “no justification,” one day after Washington’s attack on Iranian nuclear sites.
“This is an absolutely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification. Our position on the current events is well known. It has been clearly articulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of Russia,” Putin stated.
“For our part, we are making efforts to help the Iranian people,” he added. The president said Araghchi’s visit to Russia “will allow us to discuss and consider how to get out of the current situation in the [region].”
During the meeting, Araghchi said that “Tehran considers the actions of the US and Israel against Iran illegitimate,” adding that “defending the Islamic Republic is legitimate.”
“We also wanted to thank Russia for its strong condemnation of these actions. Russia stands today on the side of history and international law, and the Iranian Supreme Leader (Ali Khamenei) and the Iranian President Mr. (Masoud) Pezeshkian asked me to convey their best wishes to you, and I hope that today we can discuss all issues related to this event,” he added.
According to an Arab diplomatic source cited by Al Jadeed, Putin is hoping to persuade Washington to back a UNSC resolution for a ceasefire, which would help him convince Iran “to refrain from responding to the US strike,” “return to the negotiating table,” and “agree to transfer the high-grade uranium enrichment to Russian territory.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Moscow has offered to mediate and that any additional assistance would “depend on what Iran needs.”
The meeting between Putin and Araghchi came one day after a session at the UN Security Council (UNSC), initiated at the request of Iran.
During the UNSC session, Russia, China, and Pakistan submitted a draft resolution calling for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” and condemning “attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Iran.”
Russia and China strongly condemned the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which took place hours before the UNSC session.
US “credibility” was “damaged both as a country and as a participant in any international negotiations,” China’s UN ambassador Fu Cong stated.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities by the US marks a perilous turn.”
Iran’s UN representative Saeed Iravani said Tehran “reserves its legitimate right to defend itself and respond” to Washington’s attack on the Fordow nuclear site and others in Iran.
Russia, China, and Pakistan have requested that UNSC members share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution requires a minimum of nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the US, France, Britain, Russia, or China in order to pass.
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