Russia and China warn against war with Iran
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By David Blair, Diplomatic Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:02am BST 19/09/2007

Russia and China have criticised France's foreign minister Bernard
Kouchner for talking of "war" with Teheran.

After meeting his French counterpart in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, Russia's
foreign minister, gave warning of the possible consequences of any
military strike designed to disable Iran's nuclear programme.

"We are convinced that no modern problem has a military solution, and
that applies to the Iranian nuclear programme as well," said Mr Lavrov.

"We are seriously concerned about increasingly frequent reports that
military action against Iran is being seriously considered."

Mr Lavrov added that Russia supported the recent agreement reached
between Iran and nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy
Agency.

Earlier, China's foreign ministry also criticised Mr Kouchner for
raising the possibility of war.

"We believe the best option is to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear
issue through diplomatic negotiations, which is in the common interests
of the international community," said Jiang Yu, an official spokesman.

"We do not approve of easily resorting to threatening use of force in
international affairs."

America is now pressing for another UN Resolution which would tighten
economic sanctions on Iran.

The trigger for this move was Teheran's continued enrichment of uranium,
a process which could give Iran the essential material for a nuclear bomb.

While Russia and China have already supported two earlier sanctions
resolutions, both are signaling that their support for a third cannot be
taken for granted.

America is aiming to put a draft Resolution before the Security Council
later this month.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has toughened France's approach towards
Teheran and the rhetoric from Paris is now almost as hawkish as anything
emerging from Washington.

Yesterday, Mr Kouchner called for tougher 'precise' sanctions against
the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.

However, the French foreign minister also said that "everything should
be done to avoid war."

"War is the worst that could happen," he said. "Everything should be
done to avoid war. We have to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate - without
cease, without rebuff."

The five permanent members of the Security Council are now divided
between America, Britain and France, who all back tougher sanctions on
Iran, and Russia and China, who are openly sceptical.

If another sanctions resolution is passed, it may be a relatively weak
measure imposing penalties on specific Iranian companies linked to the
nuclear programme - not the economy as a whole.

America has imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran.

Urged on by Britain and France, the European Union may well do the same.
At present, EU countries support trade with Iran with some £9 billion of
export credits.

These are likely to be restricted and European investment in Iran
curtailed.