Russian Foreign Ministry: Condemns the U.S. and Israel for breach of trust and calls on all parties to immediately cease fire

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 16th, strongly condemning the United States and Israel for attacking Iran, which has caused serious consequences and affected the global situation. They called for an immediate ceasefire and stated that Russia is ready to promote a resolution to the current conflict. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, the statement pointed out that the U.S. and Israel have unilaterally and unjustifiably attacked Iran, triggering an unprecedented cycle of violence in the Middle East with no end in sight. The statement said that the aggressive actions of the U.S. and Israel have resulted in hundreds of deaths and irreversible damage to civilian facilities. Iran’s retaliatory actions have also caused losses to neighboring countries, and shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz has been paralyzed, plunging the once stable and peaceful Gulf region into chaos. The actions of Washington and Tel Aviv are causing “economic repercussions that are spreading from the conflict zone to the entire world.” The statement also pointed out that what people are seeing in the Middle East now is not a pursuit of de-escalation or a return to negotiations, but rather more intense actions and more destructive and damaging attacks. Russia once again strongly urges all parties to immediately cease fire and return to a political and diplomatic solution. First, attacks on civilian facilities in Gulf Arab countries and Iran should stop to prevent civilian casualties. As always, Russia is willing to contribute within its capacity to help resolve the conflict. Another message on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website showed that Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko met with Israeli Ambassador to Russia Oded Yosef in Moscow on the 16th. The two sides focused on discussing the current situation in the Middle East. Russia reiterated that solutions must be sought based on international law and the UN Charter. They also discussed several issues in Russia-Israel relations. (Xinhua)