Russia, China, Lebanon call for diplomatic solution to Iran nuclear issue

TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (MNA) – Russia, China, and Lebanon have called for the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program to be resolved through diplomatic channels. Moscow believes that there is no room for further United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said on Friday, Reuters reported. "We believe the sanctions track in the Security Council has been exhausted," he told reporters in response to a question about Iran and its nuclear program. "We continue to believe very strongly that negotiations should continue with Iran." Churkin reiterated Moscow's view that negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany), had been undermined by the report that the International Atomic Energy Agency released on November 8, in which it claimed that Iran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb. The report contained "very little new information," Churkin added. In addition, Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday called on the Western countries to commit themselves to dialogue as the sole path to resolving the standoff over Iran's nuclear issue. “It is of greater and more realistic significance for all parties to seek for a proper settlement of the Iran's nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiations, maintain peace and stability of the Middle East, and avoid further turbulence in the region,” Wang said during a speech at a meeting of the Security Council. Lebanon's ambassador to the UN, Nawaf Salam, also said on Thursday that negotiation is the best and only solution to the current standoff over Iran's “peaceful" nuclear program.