MOSCOW, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Russia seeks to safeguard the interests of all Middle Eastern states, criticizing U.S. interference in the region.
When asked about why Russia has "firmly stood by" Iran since the U.S.-Israel joint strikes began on Feb. 28, Lavrov said Russia's primary focus is on upholding international law.
"We advocate ensuring the interests of Iran and all countries in the region, including our close strategic partners from the Gulf Cooperation Council, who are also affected by the aggression unleashed by the United States and Israel," he said in an interview with France TV on Thursday.
The top Russian diplomat said that U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks disregarding international law and acting according to his own morality and mind "cannot be approved."
"Each time the United States and its allies intervene (in the Middle East), the situation there gets worse," he added.
Lavrov also denied reports that Russia has provided intelligence to Iran, stating that Moscow supplies certain types of military equipment to the Iranian army under an existing military-technical cooperation agreement. ■
