Iran has a role in search for Middle East peace: Russia

MOSCOW: Iran has a role to play in resolving the current Middle East conflict, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Thursday ahead of key UN Security Council talks on the violence.           

"Iran can contribute to efforts" to establish a "stable peace" in the Middle East conflict, Alexander Saltanov said in a statement after meeting Iranian ambassador to Moscow Gholamreza Ansari.        

At the meeting, Saltanov stressed "the need for efforts by interested parties to reach a decision that will end military operations and violence in the region and prepare the basis for a stable peace", the statement said.           

Iran is one of the main backers of Hezbollah, which captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12 to try to secure the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. The capture sparked the current military offensive by Israel, now in its fourth week. Russia has strong diplomatic and economic links with Iran, mainly revolving around nuclear energy cooperation.   

Saltanov also told Ansari about "steps being taken by Russia to achieve an immediate end to bloodletting and to turn the conflict towards a political resolution", the statement continued.    

A planned UN Security Council resolution on the conflict is being delayed by divisions over whether international peacekeepers should move into southern Lebanon before or after the outlines of a political settlement have been agreed.