MOSCOW, September 15 (RIA Novosti) - Sanctions may be imposed on Iran if it is a real threat to international security, the Russian foreign minister said Friday.
Iran has been at the center of an international dispute this year over its nuclear ambitions. Some countries suspect the Islamic Republic of pursuing a covert weapons program, but Tehran has consistently denied the claims and says it needs nuclear energy for civilian needs.
"Sanctions and [the right of] veto [at the UN Security Council] are always at our disposal," Sergei Lavrov told the Vesti-24 TV channel.
He said sanctions and the veto should be used only if "fundamental national and international interests are at stake, and when real threats to international peace and security exist."
"The Iranian problem is not linked to our opposition to sanctions," Lavrov said. "Our position on the Iranian problem is the following -- we do not want any violations of the [nuclear] non-proliferation regime."
Lavrov also highlighted Vladimir Putin's proposal to create international uranium enrichment centers in Russia that he made at the height of the Iranian nuclear crisis at the start of the year.
"If this idea is realized, it will allow us to resolve the problem of [nuclear] fuel supplies for peaceful purposes to each country that honestly complies with its non-proliferation obligations," he said.
Lavrov also said he saw a number of constructive aspects in Tehran's response to the set of Iran-6 proposals on its nuclear program.
The five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany drafted a package of incentives to persuade Iran to suspend work on enriching uranium, which could be used in both electricity generation and weapons production. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented the offer to Tehran during a visit to Iran June 6.
"We should separate the inevitable polemics present in the discussion of the Iranian problem from what may be used constructively," he said.
Lavrov said these constructive aspects helped maintain contacts between Solana and the Iranian side, adding that he hoped the talks would resume.
Tehran's response to these incentives was handed to the Iran-6 group August 22, but its contents have not been made public yet. According to media reports, Iran claims it will consider suspending its uranium enrichment program only after talks.
