Russia Criticizes Pompeo's Statements against Iran at UN

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, this Wednesday criticized in the UN Security Council the statements of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against Iran and his belligerent rhetoric towards that country.

The Russian diplomat stressed that Pompeo's speech contained many negative words, and was 'punctuated with direct provocations and demeaning sanctions,' adding 'not once did you use the word dialogue.'

He noted that the US Secretary of State presented Iran as the sole source of problems in the Middle East, 'a kind of empire of evil, so to speak.'

Such discourse and increasingly hostile sanctions only lead to the risk of an armed confrontation, any incident could trigger a conflict and it is urgent that both parties tread softly, he emphasized.

Conflicts must be solved by diplomatic and political means, sanctions and threats must be set aside, the Russian diplomat said at the UN Security Council meeting dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

Currently, the Middle East is facing serious crises, so it is critical to look back to understand all mistakes made in the past and avoid falling into them once again, he added.

The most important conclusion is that unilateral action of any kind does not bring us closer to solving problems in the Middle East, he stressed.

Some states are trying to impose themselves against others, beyond the law, and promote policies aimed at creating instability and removing governments that are not to their liking, the Russian representative said.

This has only generated greater risks and more bloodshed, he noted. Therefore, international efforts in terms of diplomatic initiatives are urgently required, to avoid interference in internal affairs and military interventions.

According to Maria Luiza Viotti, chef de Cabinet to the UN Secretary-General, the situation in the Middle East is complex and characterized by a great number of divisions and lengthy armed conflicts.

In recent weeks there have been a series of incidents in the Strait of Hormuz which have increased tensions to very dangerous levels, she said.

Therefore, she stressed the need to keep communication channels open, and bring the parties in conflict to the negotiating table.