TEHRAN, October 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will outline the steps Moscow is taking to de-escalate regional tensions created by the United States and Israel during a visit to Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will receive the top Russian diplomat. The parties will pay significant attention to practical measures aimed at strengthening comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Lavrov is also expected to brief the Iranian side on the outcome of his meetings with officials from Gulf Cooperation Council member states in Manama.
Chronic phase of crisis
The conflict with Iran, provoked by the United States, is causing growing concern worldwide, particularly amid a rapid rise in oil prices and mounting energy logistics difficulties stemming from shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov, the conflict has entered a chronic phase, with "regular outbreaks of active hostilities" bringing areas of instability dangerously close to the borders of the organization's member states. Masadykov expressed grave concern over US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities subject to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
Moreover, US media outlets have reported, citing American officials, that Washington has drawn up plans to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sites using its most powerful non-nuclear bomb. Tehran has already stated that any US attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure would not go unanswered.
Global fuel crisis
The prolonged confrontation between the US and Iran is further aggravating the global fuel crisis. Fuel prices have soared amid a decline in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for delivering oil and petroleum products to global markets.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko expressed hope that Russian diesel supplies based on an agreement reached by Moscow and Washington would calm fuel markets and stabilize prices. However, experts point out that the global crisis is unlikely to ease until the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is resolved.
Meanwhile, Iranian Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen to shipping after "US forces withdraw from the Persian Gulf."
A crisis of confidence between the parties to the conflict is making the situation worse. Tehran’s Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali noted earlier that the United States had on several occasions attacked Iran in the midst of negotiations.