Russia views new attacks on Iran as violation of signed memorandum — foreign minister

Lead

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the resumption of military strikes against Iran constitutes a violation of the memorandum of understanding signed between Tehran and Washington. Speaking at a press conference on July 14 following talks with his Chadian counterpart, Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, Lavrov said the renewed aggression "closes the door" that the memorandum had seemed to open toward a resolution of the conflict.

"We view [the resumption of military aggression against Iran] as a violation of the memorandum, and there is even little to comment on here," Lavrov said. "This is unfortunate because both civilian infrastructure in Iran and civilian facilities in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are suffering. This leads to nothing good."

Coverage comparison

Reporting from TASS, the Russian state news agency, focused on Lavrov's statements from two press conferences. On July 14, following talks with Chad's foreign minister, Lavrov addressed the resumption of US strikes. A second set of remarks, reported on July 17 after talks with Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Jayhun Bayramov, saw Lavrov describe the memorandum as "crumbling apart" and express disappointment that early hopes for the agreement had been dashed.

Across these reports, the same core set of events is described: the US and Israel went to war against Iran on February 28; a memorandum of understanding was signed in June, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon; subsequent talks were held in Switzerland, brokered by Qatar and Pakistan; and on July 8, the United States resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating terms related to the Strait of Hormuz.

All the material cited comes from TASS, and no other news outlet's coverage has been reviewed for this article.

Key claims

• Lavrov stated that the resumption of strikes on Iran violates the memorandum concluded between Tehran and Washington.
• The US and Israel went to war against Iran on February 28. Air strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, among others.
• Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.
• The US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran on July 8, accusing it of violating the terms of the agreements reached regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, stated on July 13 that Tehran had never violated the memorandum, and that all responsibility for its non-compliance lies with Washington.
• Lavrov said Middle East security remains tenuous as the memorandum seems to be crumbling apart.
• According to Lavrov, Israel's leadership has publicly stated that it is not bound by the memorandum's provisions, and President Trump has said he no longer recognizes the memorandum.
• Lavrov also noted that Israel is pushing its line in southern Lebanon and southern Syria "quite actively."

Temporal context

Lavrov's July 14 remarks came after the US resumed large-scale strikes on July 8. His July 17 remarks were made following talks with Azerbaijan's foreign minister, offering a later assessment of the memorandum's status.