Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed concern on Monday over the talk of possible strikes on Iran.

"Forecasts and suppositions of possible strikes on Iran have grown frequent, which is alarming," the top diplomat told President Vladimir Putin at a cabinet meeting, according to the Interfax news agency.

Such statements are bad for the resumption of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, Lavrov said. "The U.S. vice president is one of those who has brought up the subject," he said.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday refused to rule out the possibility of taking military action against Iran.

During his visit to Australia, Cheney said Washington is still working with other countries to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear programs and prefers to achieve the goal peacefully, "but all options are still on the table."

The West accuses Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons under a civilian cover. Tehran denies this, saying it needs to enrich uranium for a peaceful, alternative energy source.

The UN Security Council gave Iran a 60-day deadline, which expired last week, to suspend uranium enrichment or face further sanctions. But Iran refused to heed the Security Council's demand.

Diplomats of six countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- will meet in London on Monday to discuss ways to resume negotiations, Lavrov said.

Source: Xinhua