The Russian foreign minister also touched on other topics, saying he believes it is time for Moscow to discuss how the US envisions their future economic relations.
“Especially when it comes to ongoing developments. Sanctions haven’t been lifted since the (former US President Joe) Biden era, not even diplomatic property has been returned,” Lavrov said.
Noting that Russian companies such as Lukoil and Rosneft have already been hit with new sanctions by the administration of US President Donald Trump, Lavrov defined Washington’s dominance in global energy markets as an “openly declared” goal.
Lavrov further said Russia and the US continue to have “a lot of disagreements” under the Trump administration.
Amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov called for not forgetting other issues in the Middle East, including the topic of Palestine.
“Nobody remembers the West Bank, nobody talks about the fact that the Israeli leadership openly declares that there will never be any Palestinian state,” Lavrov said, noting that “very difficult processes” are also underway in Syria.
He also said that it “would be a shame” if the UN decision for a two-state solution is “simply ignored and largely destroyed.”
“The war in the Gulf, in my view, was not motivated by any malicious intent. I don’t think there were genuine plans to destroy civilisation. It’s a figure of speech, I think. But there were plans to control the oil that passes through the Persian Gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman,” he also said.
Lavrov went on to express caution over comparing Moscow to a “paper tiger,” and that ties between Russia and China are “of a higher, deeper, and more reliable quality than classical military alliances.”