The situation between Iran and the United States is currently "explosive," and while Russia is not forcing its assistance upon them, it remains deeply concerned about the stability of the Middle East, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made this statement in an interview with RT.
"At the moment, we are not pushing ourselves as helpers to Iran, Israel, or the United States. In our contacts with them, we are simply discussing the situation," the minister said. "Iran is our close partner and neighbor. We are not indifferent to how the situation develops—especially since it is volatile not only for Iran itself but for the entire Near and Middle East."
Lavrov added that the region is filled with "too many time bombs just waiting for a clumsy foot to step on them." He noted that "the Iranians and Israelis know that we are ready to offer our services once again to contribute to the implementation of agreements, which I hope will be reached at some point."
The context for these remarks is a high-stakes diplomatic effort. Reports from Axios indicate that US-Iran negotiations are scheduled to take place in Oman on February 6, 2026. This follows a period of extreme tension; on January 26, US President Donald Trump announced that a "massive armada" of the US Navy was heading toward the Islamic Republic. Trump expressed hope that Tehran would agree to a "fair and equitable" deal involving the "complete renunciation of nuclear weapons."
Five rounds of nuclear negotiations in 2025 failed after the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes in June 2025—a 12-day conflict where Israel and the United States launched major military operations against Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS