Russia considered it counter- productive and dangerous to mount tension around Iranian nuclear program, Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"Russia pointed that any attempts to use reports on Iran's nuclear technology progress for further pressure on Tehran through sanctions, moreover, to use force are counter-productive and dangerous," the ministry said on its website.

Also on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed Moscow's position that the prospects of Tehran obtaining potential to create nuclear weapons were unacceptable and Russia was against using military force, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.

The Russian top diplomat made the remarks when he met with visiting Yaakov Amidror, head of Israel's National Security Council, on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Lavrov said the problems facing countries in the region should be solved through a broad national dialogue, without violence or outside interference.

On Saturday, Iran and the five UN Security Council permanent members -- the United States, France, Russia, China and Britain -- plus Germany agreed to hold another round of talks over Iranian nuclear issues in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on May 23.

The six powers spearheaded the diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to limit its nuclear program, which Iran says is purely peaceful while UN and Western leaders suspect of its military purposes.