Russia: West seeks to repeat past ‘plunder’ of Iran’s oil

Moscow has slammed Western powers for pursuing policies toward Iran that mirror historical attempts to exploit the country’s resources.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, referred to declassified historical documents and said that in 1946 American and British companies sought to plunder Iran's oil fields and that similar dynamics are unfolding today.

She added that, according to those records, Western powers at the time pressured the Iranian government into producing unlimited oil, describing this as the central objective of their agenda.

Zakharova continued that while those events took place 80 years ago, she believes the situation surrounding Iran is again taking a similar shape, though she noted that the global foreign-policy environment has fundamentally changed.

Referring to Western threats against Iran and other countries, she said Western states are unwilling to relinquish advantages gained through colonial and neo-colonial practices and have grown accustomed to relying on those benefits to maintain dominance.

"The majority of countries in the world are increasingly defending their rights, building domestic economic, industrial, and scientific capacity, and strengthening their national sovereignty," she stressed.

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In another part of his speech, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We are witnessing continuous threats against Tehran, a show of force, intimidation, and an irresponsible escalation of regional tensions by Washington."

"Nevertheless, Russia and Iran continue to systematically strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of the people of both countries," she noted.

The remarks came amid heightened regional tensions. US President Donald Trump has ordered additional military deployments to the region, including an extra aircraft carrier, thousands of troops, warplanes, and guided-missile destroyers, according to US officials.

In late January, Trump spoke of “another beautiful armada” of warships heading towards Iran and said failure to reach a deal would bring consequences “far worse” than the illegal strikes of June 2025 on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Tehran has declared that it would respond decisively to any military adventurism, as in the case of the June US attacks, which prompted a ballistic missile barrage against Al Udeid, Washington’s most important regional airbase located in Qatar.

Russia reaffirms support for Iran’s sovereignty amid rising US threats

The Russian president says Moscow supports Iran’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and interests.

Speaking at the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow on Thursday, Alexander Lukashenko criticized Western pressure on Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, describing them as shared partners of Belarus and Russia, and condemned open interference by Western countries in the affairs of sovereign states.

He stated that global trade is currently being damaged by heavy tariffs, technological and energy blockades, currency pressure, and piracy along logistical routes.

The Belarusian president said that at present some countries are not being allowed to export oil.

He added that while the West is, to some extent, wary of the leaders of the multipolar world—China and Russia—it has imposed unprecedented pressure on their allies.

As an example, Lukashenko said that in recent weeks Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran—“our shared partners”—have been subjected to open interference, primarily through economic means.

He emphasized that technological sovereignty, reliance on domestic resources and competencies, prioritizing Union-produced goods, and protecting the common market of the Russia-Belarus Union State are key pillars of security, no less important than military and foreign policy components.

In another part of his speech, he said that China and Iran are interested in developing relations with Belarus within a framework similar to the current level of cooperation between Moscow and Minsk.

“Today the Chinese have already suggested: ‘Let’s work according to the principle of your work with Russia – a region with regions.’ Iran mentioned about half a year ago that they want this kind of cooperation as well,” he added.

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