Ryabkov: U.S. actions against Iran are provocative

Actions of the United States against Iran have for a long time been aimed at instigating a war, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

"For quite a while, we have been witnessing the United States’ continuous attempts to increase political, psychological, economic and military pressure on Iran," TASS cited him as saying.

According to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, such actions are "rather provocative" and "cannot be considered as anything other than a deliberate policy to instigate a war."

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said earlier that Washington was "considering a full range of options" on Iran, including a military response.