Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that actions by the United States and Israel against Iran are negatively impacting the Caspian Sea region, following recent strikes on maritime infrastructure.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Lavrov made these remarks during a press conference following negotiations with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev. The minister emphasized that the March 18 attack on the Anzali port infrastructure is "unacceptable," noting that the facility serves the trade and logistics interests of all five Caspian littoral states.
According to Lavrov, the "unprovoked armed aggression" against Iran has resulted in serious negative consequences for the Caspian Sea and its coastal regions. He stressed that the Caspian region must remain a zone of peace and cooperation, warning that rising tensions damage collective security and economic ties. The minister further highlighted that maintaining stability in the Caspian is a priority for the regional powers to ensure the continued flow of international trade.
The Caspian Sea is a strategically vital body of water shared by Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Under the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the littoral states agreed to maintain the region as a zone of peace and prohibited the presence of foreign military forces. The port of Anzali, located on Iran's northern coast, serves as a key hub for the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a project of significant economic importance for the regional players, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, in facilitating trade between South Asia and Europe.
