Moscow doubts case for Iran sanctions: EU deputy

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov told EU lawmakers on Thursday Moscow remained
doubtful international sanctions would persuade Iran to curb
its nuclear ambitions, a senior parliamentarian said.

“He said he was still not convinced sanctions would work,”
Elmar Brok, head of the foreign affairs committee of the
European Parliament told reporters after a closed-door hearing
with Lavrov.

Brok said Lavrov had also affirmed that a Russian proposal
to enrich uranium on behalf of Iran, whom the West suspects of
wanting to produce an atomic bomb, was still on the table.

“It was very clear that he said no nuclear military
capacity in Iran, no enrichment capacities. He renewed his
proposal that enrichment should take place on Russian soil,”
Brok said.

Efforts in the U.N. Security Council to agree a resolution
paving the way for possible sanctions against Iran if it
refuses to halt enrichment foundered last week over resistance
from Russia and China.

Lavrov was guarded on the prospects of a European Union
plan to offer incentives to Tehran to suspend enrichment,
saying he would reserve judgment until the EU offers details of
it to Russia, United States and China at a meeting due next
week.