TEHRAN -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Thursday that NATO’s expansion was a “serious threat” to the region’s security and stability.
“NATO’s expansion eastward creates tension and is a serious threat to the stability and security of independent states in various areas,” Raisi said.
“I hope what is happening will benefit peoples and the entire region,” he said.
The Russian president said what is happening in Ukraine is “a legitimate response” to several decades of violation of security agreements by the West and its efforts to undermine his country’s security.
Referring to Iran’s active role in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Russian president emphasized the need to continue consultations between the two sides with regard to the ongoing Vienna talks.
On Friday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani held the West directly responsible for the wars and crises which aim to resist the West’s strategy.
“Nothing is more hateful than war, but when the West seeks to strike at the national security of nations in various ways, it is in fact directly responsible for the wars and crises that are formed in order to resist the West’s strategy,” he said.
Iran’s government spokesman stressed the importance of remaining committed to international law and relying on dialogue and diplomacy as the main solution to end the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
“Adherence to international law and humanitarian law and reliance on dialogue and diplomacy are essential to ending the conflict,” Ali Bahadori Jahromi tweeted.
“Security concerns about the growing and provocative expansion of NATO eastward are understandable to all independent countries that are opposed to U.S. hegemony,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the administration spokesman dismissed war as a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“War is not a solution; reliance upon the U.S. cannot bring about security,” Bahadori Jahromi said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian also said the unfolding crisis in Ukraine stemmed from provocative acts by NATO, but that there is no military solution to the crisis.
“We do not see resorting to war as a solution. Establishing a ceasefire and focusing, instead, on a political and democratic solution is a necessity,” the top Iranian diplomat tweeted.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed regret over the escalation of the conflict.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing developments in Ukraine with deep concern. Unfortunately, the continuation of NATO provocation actions, in which the US plays a central role, has led to a situation in which the Eurasian region is on the verge of an all-out crisis,” Khatibzadeh said.
He said Iran invites the conflicting sides to announce a ceasefire and hold immediate negotiations to resolve the crisis through political channels.
The Islamic Republic once again reiterates the importance of observing international law and humanitarian rights in military conflicts, he added.