Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that the recent strikes by Israel and the US against Israel were a major blow against the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, highlighting the weakness of the system, reports Al Jazeera.
Ryabkov said that the 12-day war had highlighted the need to establish new foundations for security in the Middle East and the Gulf.
The strikes on Iran, a strategic partner of Russia, had shown the weakness of the global nuclear security system, he said, as it had been unable to provide a strong enough argument to deter Israel and the US from military action.
He added that while there was no doubt Iran’s nuclear programme had suffered significant damage, the extent of it still needed to be assessed, and to say that the programme had been destroyed was an exaggeration.
Talk of it being wiped out was wishful thinking on the part of politicians in Washington and Tel Aviv, he said.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
