WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — Russia’s foreign minister looked to reassure Israel Thursday that Iran would never attack the Jewish state.

In a meeting with Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin, Sergei Lavrov said there is still no proof that Iran has nuclear weapons.

“Russia believes that Iran doesn’t intend to attack Israel with nuclear weapons, especially when taking into account the makeup of Israel’s population, which includes millions of Arabs and Muslims,” Lavrov said, according to Haaertz.

Lavrov told Rivlin that they do not think there is a threat toward Israel, adding that Russia does not “automatically back” Iran.

“Until now it is not clearly proven that Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons,” Lavrov said, according to The Times of Israel. “Time and again we hear threats that if there is no progress on Iran’s nuclear program only one option will remain — the use of force. We hope that will never happen.”

Rivlin told Lavrov in Moscow that Israel believes Russia would be able to deter Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

“The friendship between Russia and Iran allows Russia the opportunity and obligation to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” Rivlin said, according to Haaertz. “”Russia may be the only [nation] able to stop the Iranian nuclear program, without necessitating sanctions or military moves.”

Russia has had a helping hand in developing Iran’s nuclear technology, building one of the Tehran regime’s nuclear plants in Bushehr.

Former Clinton administration official David Rothkopf wrote in Foreign Policy Monday that the United States and Israel are considering a “joint surgical strike” against Iran.