Russian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss situation in Middle East over phone

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday discussed the situation in the Middle East with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi over the phone.

"The development of the situation in the region resulting from the unprovoked armed aggression of the US and Israel against Iran was discussed," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

During the discussions, it was emphasized that such actions violate fundamental international law norms and have serious consequences for the entire Middle East region.

"Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed the principled position in favor of de-escalating the situation, renouncing the use of force, and transitioning to a political-diplomatic settlement of the conflict, as well as Russia's readiness to contribute to this in every possible way," the statement said.

The priority of taking measures to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure in all countries of the region was also emphasized, it added.

The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked sites in Gulf countries.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to destroy Iran's missiles, raze its missile industry to the ground, and annihilate the navy, reiterating that it cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The strikes came despite ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program, which were mediated by Oman.