'Playing with fire' — Russia's Lavrov warns against US strike on Iran
Russia warns that military action could spark a wider regional crisis and undermine fragile diplomatic gains, while confirming ongoing talks with Syria’s new leadership to preserve its key military presence.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any new US strike on Iran would carry dangerous consequences, urging diplomacy to ensure Tehran’s nuclear programme remains peaceful.
In an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya channel, released on Wednesday, Lavrov said previous attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had already created serious risks.
“The consequences are not good,” he said. “There were real risks of a nuclear incident… Everyone understands this is playing with fire.”
The remarks came a day after US and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva aimed at defusing the latest standoff between Tehran and the United States.
‘Confrontation threatens recent diplomatic progress in region’
Lavrov said regional actors — particularly Arab states and Gulf monarchies — were signaling they did not want tensions to escalate, warning that renewed confrontation could reverse recent diplomatic progress, including improved ties between Iran and neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia.
According to a senior US official, Tehran is expected to submit a written proposal outlining how it believes the dispute with Washington could be resolved.
At the same time, US national security officials have been reviewing military readiness in the region, with forces expected to be fully positioned by mid-March.
Washington insists Iran must abandon its nuclear programme, while Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says it has the right to pursue nuclear energy.
Lavrov said Moscow remained in close contact with Iranian leaders and believed Tehran wanted to resolve the dispute within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasising that any agreement must respect Iran’s lawful rights while ensuring its enrichment activities remain peaceful.
Russian military presence in Syria
On Syria, Lavrov said that Russia is currently in negotiations with the new Syrian leadership to maintain its key military presence.
"As for our military facilities, discussions are ongoing. Let me reiterate — the Syrians are keen for our presence to endure. These sites, while no longer purely military in function as they were prior to December 2025, remain well-suited for repurposing as humanitarian hubs," he said.
Lavrov said that mutual respect and benefit are the principles that have underpinned Russia's relations with Syria since the establishment of the Arab state.
He said the fact that Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has visited Russia twice in less than four months and that Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani has held multiple meetings with Russian officials within a year demonstrates that both sides hold these relations in high regard.
Lavrov argued that Moscow's presence in Syria, particularly at Khmeimim and Tartus, is seen as "a stabilising counterweight to other players."
Russia had long provided financial and military backing to former Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad, who was ousted after nearly 15 years of civil war that killed hundreds of thousands. Assad fled to Russia in December 2024.