TEHRAN – Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan has said that Moscow will defend Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors. 

Commenting on the draft resolution submitted by the U.S. and its European allies to the board, the Russian ambassador said, “Russia defends the Islamic Republic of Iran; Russia has always stood by Iran and wants Iran to reach an agreement.”

He also said Russia conveyed that position during the recent phone call between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. 

“In the telephone conversation Mr. Amir Abdollahian had with Mr. Lavrov, we stated that we would support Iran on the nuclear issue. Some unfortunately claim that Russia wants to create problems in the negotiations, while we even support Iran's agreement with the United States,” he said in remarks to state news agency IRNA. 

He added, “Russia also supported Iran's agreement with other countries in 2015 and has never opposed an agreement between Iran and other countries.”

“They are thieves,” he said of the recent U.S. order to seize Iranian oil. “Yesterday our money was stolen and today your oil.”

Also, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, has said that Moscow will not support a draft resolution put forth by Western countries against Iran at the IAEA board. 

“It becomes more and more clear that the intention of the Western participants in the #ViennaTalks to adopt a resolution on #Iran at the current session of the #IAEA BoG is very counterproductive for the #JCPOA. Russia will not associate itself with such a resolution on any way,” he said on Twitter on Tuesday.

In another tweet on Tuesday, Ulyanov said the U.S. and its European allies submitted a draft resolution against Iran to the IAEA board. 

“The Western participants in the #ViennaTalks on the #JCPOA submitted a draft resolution on #Iran for adoption at the current session of the #IAEA BoG. For unknown reasons they believe that a resolution is the best way to address outstanding safeguards issues. Extremely doubtful,” he tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has said Iran will respond in kind to any move by the IAEA board.

Iran has so far exercised restraint and seems to be waiting for the outcome of the board meeting, Khatibzadeh said. But, he added, Iran could take new retaliatory measures should the board adopts a resolution.