Gulf countries 'hostages of the American policy in the Middle East’: Russian envoy

Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia criticized a US-led draft UN Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, saying it is "one-sided" and fails to reflect the origins of regional tensions.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday at UN headquarters, Nebenzia argued that the text does not address how the crisis began.

"Now the Gulf countries, who we sympathize with, they are all our friends. The Strait of Hormuz, the attacks on these countries, we condemn the attacks on the civilian infrastructure. But without mentioning or addressing how it all started, this resolution becomes one-sided and misses the point," he said when asked about the draft resolution announced by the US alongside Bahrain and Gulf countries Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, which allegedly aims at defending freedom of navigation in the strait.

"Basically, that's why we are not very much enthusiastic to adopt (it)," he added.

Nebenzia stressed the importance of maritime security and freedom of navigation.

"The freedom of navigation is very important. We are suffering from the lack of freedom of navigation ourselves because our ships are often stopped arbitrarily, in the open seas, by our former European partners," he said.

He added that Russia, together with China, tabled an alternative initiative at the Council.

Turning to regional escalation involving Iran and US military infrastructure in Gulf states, Nebenzia warned of broader consequences.

He argued that Iran warned "in advance" that in case of hostilities with Tehran and Washington, it "would attack the military infrastructure that the US built in those countries."

"I'm telling them: you are the hostages of the American policy in the Middle East," Nebenzia said, adding that "we were saying a long time ago that if something like that would happen, you will inevitably get into this crisis whether you want it, whether you are willing or not."

He further criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency's approach and accused its director general, Rafael Grossi, of "trying to evade the subject, but the subject is simple. It is unprovoked aggression by the two countries against Iran on a false pretext."

Responding to a question on the possibility of Iran transferring enriched uranium to Russia, he said any such step would depend on Tehran's decision.

"The uranium enrichment material, we said that we are ready. That's a separate decision by Iran. If Iran would ask us to take that material to Russia, and if that is a part of a deal, why not? Yes, we said it a long time before. But so far, we are not there," he said.