Lavrov warns against attacking Iran

Attacking Iran would trigger an unpredictable sequence of events throughout the Middle East, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday. Lavrov said during his annual news conference he had "no doubt" an attack on Iran by a Western power would "pour oil on the still smoldering fire of Sunni-[Shiite] confrontation, which would lead to a chain reaction," RIA Novosti reported. "As for how likely such a catastrophe is, you need to ask those who constantly mention this as an option," he said, adding that Russia would "do everything" it could prevent an attack on Iran. While Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday Israel was "very far off" from deciding whether to strike Iran, Israel and the United States have refused to rule out using military force against Iran over its nuclear program Western powers suspect is aimed at producing weapons, RIA Novosti said. Iran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes. Lavrov also said sanctions on Iranian oil exports -- under discussion by the European Union -- would "hurt" ordinary people and weren't about enhancing nuclear non-proliferation. "This has nothing to do with a desire to strengthen nuclear non-proliferation," he said. "It's aimed at stifling the Iranian economy and the population in the apparent hope of provoking discontent." Oil exports make up about 80 percent of Iran's foreign revenues and Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping lane, in response to sanctions. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said such a move would draw a military response.