Moscow has urged both sides to exercise restraint, warning that escalation will benefit no one
© Alexander NEMENOV / AFP
No one would benefit from a conflict between Iran and Israel spiraling out of control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, voicing hope that the two regional powers will be able to resolve their differences peacefully.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Peskov weighed in on a massive Iranian strike on Israel over the weekend, which West Jerusalem said involved more than 300 drones and missiles. The attack came in response to an alleged Israeli strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, earlier this month. The strike killed several senior Iranian military personnel.
The Kremlin spokesman said that Russia is “extremely worried about escalating tensions in the region,” urging everyone to exercise restraint.
“Further escalation serves no one’s interests. We advocate that all differences be resolved only by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov added.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry has also said that regional tensions are being fueled by “the unresolved nature of numerous crises in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone.”
It also deplored that the UN Security Council had been unable to “adequately react” to the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria – which Iran insists was the reason for its strike in the first place – due to the stance of Western powers on the issue.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova rejected Israel’s call to condemn Iran’s attack, saying that West Jerusalem had not denounced Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions, and that it regularly provides vocal diplomatic support for Kiev.
In the aftermath of the barrage, Iran declared the end of its military operation against Israel, warning the Jewish state of harsh pushback if it were to retaliate.
Numerous reports indicate that the US wants Israel to exercise caution, which has yet to make a decision on whether to respond. CNN reported, citing an Israeli official, that Netanyahu’s government told the US it is not looking to significantly escalate the situation. However, according to Reuters, the Israeli war cabinet favors retaliation but is divided over its timing and scope.
