Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today Western sanctions against Iran were aimed at triggering popular discontent by "strangling" the economy.
Mr Lavrov emphasised Russia's opposition to further UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, saying UN sanctions had "exhausted" their potential.
Additional sanctions "are aimed at causing a strangling effect on the Iranian economy and . . . the Iranian people, probably in the hope of provoking discontent," Mr Lavrov told an news conference.
A Western military strike on Iran would be a "catastrophe" that would aggravate dangerous divisions, Mr Lavrov said.
"I have no doubt that it would pour fuel on a fire which is already smouldering, the hidden smouldering fire of Sunni-Shia confrontation, and beyond that [it would cause] a chain reaction - I don't know where it would stop," he said.
Elsewhere, Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak said any decision about an Israeli attack on Iran was "very far off".
Mr Barak was speaking on Israel's Army Radio ahead of a planned visit this week by US armed forces chief General Martin Dempsey that has triggered speculation Washington would press Israel to delay any action against Tehran's nuclear programme.
Asked whether the United States was asking Israel to let them know ahead of any assault against Iran, Mr Barak replied: "We haven't made any decision to do this," and added: "This entire thing is very far off."
Mr Barak also suggested Israel was co-ordinating with Washington its plans about handling Tehran's nuclear project which Israel views as an existential threat. "I don't think our ties with the United States are such that they have no idea what we are talking about," he said.
When pressed as to whether "very far off" meant weeks or months, the minister replied: "I wouldn't want to provide any estimates. It's certainly not urgent." "I don't want to relate to it as though tomorrow it will happen."
Iran says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Reuters