16.03.2026 19:40
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a striking statement regarding Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Lavrov said, "For some reason, no one is concerned about freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea, where there have been cases of tankers being illegally seized. Both in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea, Ukrainian terrorists have attacked tankers."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated regarding the Strait of Hormuz, "For some reason, no one is concerned about the freedom of navigation in places where illegal seizures of tankers have occurred in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea."
LAVROV'S STATEMENT ON IRAN
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a press conference after meeting with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, who was visiting Russia, in the capital Moscow.
Touching on the issue of Iran, Lavrov noted that the aggressive stance of the US and Israel towards Iran has not gone unnoticed, stating that Iran is defending itself and responding with retaliations against American military infrastructure in other countries.
"ALL PARTIES SHOULD SIT AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE"
Lavrov pointed out that the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have also been harmed by Iran's attacks, emphasizing that conflicts should be halted and parties should sit at the negotiation table, expressing that all parties should refrain from actions that damage civilian infrastructure and cause civilian casualties both in Arab countries and in Iran.
"FOR SOME REASON, NO ONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BALTIC SEA"
Lavrov stated that Iran needs security guarantees and that the US is not ready for negotiations because it wants to seize enriched uranium. Noting that everyone is focused on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov said, "For some reason, no one is concerned about the freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. Cases of illegal seizure of tankers in these seas are increasing."
Lavrov also reminded that the Ukrainian army has been conducting attacks on tankers and the infrastructure of the TurkStream and Blue Stream natural gas pipelines in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Stating that the Palestinian issue has been forgotten due to the attacks on Iran, Lavrov said, "There has been no development on this issue. We want to draw the attention of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to this. Everyone, especially the countries in the region, needs to be aware of their responsibilities regarding this issue. We will support such an approach. The UN needs to take responsibility for the decisions it has made."
"UKRAINE IS SABOTAGING THE AGREEMENTS"
Touching on the resolution process of the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov expressed that they have adhered to the agreements reached in this process, stating, "The agreements made since 2022 are being sabotaged by Ukraine."
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov noted that a French representative came to Moscow to discuss the Ukraine crisis but did not provide them with new information, and that there has been no change in the European Union's (EU) approach to the Ukraine crisis, indicating that Europe intends to protect Kiev.
Regarding the voluntary participation of Kenyans in the Russian army, Lavrov expressed that they understand Kenya's concerns and that the incoming requests have been directed to the Russian Ministry of Defense, stating that all issues can be resolved between the defense ministries of the two countries.