Tehran – Russia’s permanent president of Vienna’s international organization, Mikhail Ulinov, has announced harsh criticism of President Donald Trump’s new threat to Iran, calling for an immediate return to diplomacy.
In an exclusive interview with Iranian IRNA released on Saturday, Urinov denounced Washington’s “maximum pressure” strategy as a failure, warning that military stance risks destabilizing global security.
“We are determinedly opposed to the threat of US power to Iran, particularly the military strike targeting nuclear facilities. Such policies are counterproductive and unacceptable,” Urinov said.
If Trump truly sought an agreement with Tehran, Russian envoys stressed that abandoning forced tactics for diplomacy remains the only reliable path.
In an NBC interview on March 31, Trump escalated his rhetoric and warned him of “something you’ve never seen before.”
The threat was issued against the backdrop of the rising stance of the US military.
Recent deployments include the expanded presence of aircraft carriers USS Truman and USS Vinson in the Persian Gulf, B-2 stealth bombers stationed at Diego Garcia, a US base in British territory in the Indian Ocean, and additional forces mobilized across Western Asia.
“Paradox” in US policy
Urinov also highlighted what he called an obvious contradiction in Washington’s approach.
“The JCPOA was designed to resolve nuclear concerns through political measures, but the US abandoned it for coercion. Seven years later, this strategy backfired completely,” he said, noting that Iran had expanded its nuclear capabilities in response to sanctions.
Russian diplomats argued that US actions have undermined trust despite Trump’s claims that they are seeking a new deal.
“The administration escalates tensions with threats, while claiming it wants to do business with. The only realistic path is professional and non-threatening negotiations,” he said.
Ulyanov also emphasized Iran’s compliance with international nuclear protection measures, noting that Tehran is a nuclear-free signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has made its facility a subject for strict International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) testing.
“Iran’s programmes are under more stringent surveillance than most nuclear-free states, and the IAEA has not repeatedly confirmed evidence of weaponization,” he said, referring to the recent US intelligence report, consistent with those findings.
Ulyanov mentioned the recent US intelligence report assessment reported by the Director of the National Intelligence, who knows that Iran is not engaged in the construction of nuclear weapons.
The report further emphasizes that Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, has not approved the nuclear weapons programme and is strengthening Iran’s longstanding claim that nuclear activities remain completely peaceful.
The statements of the Russian diplomats were also consistent with regional diplomatic efforts. In a call Thursday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian asserted that Tehran “does not seek war, but will decisively defend itself from aggression.”