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Sergei Lavrov and Hillary Clinton discuss situation in Syria and Iran’s nuclear program

06 March 2012 21:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday discussed during a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the situation around Syria and Iran’s nuclear program, the Foreign Ministry’s website said today, APA reports.

"Topical international problems, including the subject of Middle East settlement, the situation around Syria and Iran’s nuclear program have been discussed," the statement says.

Lavrov and Clinton also discussed several bilateral issues, including the schedule of possible contacts in the coming period, the Foreign Ministry said.

Syria has been the scene of continuous anti-government protests for nearly a year. According to the United Nations, more than 7,500 people have died in the unrest. Syrian authorities say that clashes with the armed opposition killed over two thousand military and law enforcement officers of Syria against whom well-armed militants act, RIA Novosti reported.

Russia and China have twice vetoed U.N. Security Council resolutions on Syria that they believe could lead to a military operation against Syrian government forces as a repetition of "the Libyan scenario."

Western powers suspect Iran of pursuing a secret weapons program, while Tehran insists it needs nuclear fuel for solely civilian purposes.

Iran is subject to a wide range of international sanctions, including an EU ban on oil supplies from the Islamic Republic which is due to come into force in July.

On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama, addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said that the U.S. and Israel seek a diplomatic way to ensure that Iran abandons its nuclear program, but do not rule out a military scenario.

Earlier Obama once again stated that "it’s totally unacceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons" and added that the U.S. is "ready to use all available means ...".

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta didn’t rule out the possibility of the U.S. taking military action against Iran, if other alternative measures don’t prevent from developing nuclear weapon in this country, Reuters reported.