Lavrov expressed hope that US strikes on Iran will not be repeated

Statement following the CSTO meeting

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following the meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defense Ministers and Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils, commented on the situation around a possible US–Iran conflict. His remarks were reported by TASS, with the message published by Gazeta.Ru. Responding to US President Donald Trump's statement that Washington no longer considers military scenarios against Iran, Lavrov said: 'I hope that is how it will be.'

Context: contacts with Tehran and the strike on Qeshm

The Russian Foreign Minister's statement comes against the backdrop of contradictory developments in recent days. Trump previously said that Iran wants to strike a deal with the United States and that Washington could quickly end the conflict. On November 7 he confirmed the fact of contacts with Tehran, yet on the same day the American military struck an anti-aircraft missile launcher on the Iranian island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz — according to the report, in response to a missile launched from that territory toward a US Air Force fighter jet. Thus, words about readiness for a deal were combined with a real military incident, which is precisely what makes Lavrov's assessment cautious: he expressed hope, not a statement of fact, that the strikes will not be repeated.