TEHRAN - Iranian MP Hossein Ebrahimi says the Foreign Ministry is of the opinion that Russia and China voted for the sanctions resolution against Iran on June 9 to prevent harsher action against Tehran.

“The Foreign Ministry believes that Russia and China actually voted (for the sanctions) out of empathy, so Tehran-Moscow and Tehran-Beijing relations will not change,” Ebrahimi said on Monday.
After consultations with experts about the actions of Russia and China and the repercussions of the new resolution, the MPs reached the conclusion that the new sanctions will not have any negative repercussions on the country and there is no cause for concern, he stated.
Earlier, some MPs had announced that they intended to draw up a plan to reassess ties with Russia and China and the level of Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Organization in response to the new sanctions.
“Foreign Ministry officials have talked with Russian officials and believe these two countries voted (in this manner) to prevent more severe action against Iran,” explained Ebrahimi, who sits on the Majlis National Security Committee.
Foreign Ministry officials say Russia and China have not acted out of hostility, so Iran will maintain its relations with these two countries at the same level as before, he added.