“We will oppose any new resolution (on UN sanctions against Iran),”

TEHRAN – Kremlin has reaffirmed its opposition to new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports, warning that Russia would block any possible UN resolution in this regard, RTTNews reported on Tuesday. 

“We believe that sanctions (on) Iran have lost their usefulness,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday. 

“We will oppose any new resolution (on UN sanctions against Iran),” he added. 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Gatilov said that Russia strongly opposes the idea of launching a military strike on Iran.  

“Any military strike on Iran is unacceptable. It will help to ensure that the situation will become even more critical,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying. 

“We have always advocated the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the six powers,” Gatilov said, adding, “It was our initiative, and we’ve always called for it.”

On January 11, 2012, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also expressed Moscow’s opposition to a possible oil sanctions against Iran, even if Tehran presses ahead with its uranium enrichment. 

“Regardless of any conditions ... be those the conditions in which the Iranian nuclear program expands or others, we are against the application of such measures against Iran,” Ryabkov was quoted by state-run Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

He said new sanctions would not strengthen nuclear non-proliferation.

The United States imposed additional sanctions on Iran last month and the European Union is expected to agree a ban on imports of Iranian oil later this month.