Russia tells Israel to halt Iran strikes, warning of 'nuclear catastrophe'
Russia's Foreign Ministry has called on Israel to stop targeting Tehran's nuclear sites, arguing the ongoing bombardment could lead to global "nuclear catastrophe."
"Israel’s continued, intensive attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran are unlawful under international law, pose unacceptable threats to international security, and drive the world closer to a nuclear catastrophe – the consequences of which will be felt globally, including in Israel itself," Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its sixth day, with Israel killing several top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists while urging the United States to get more directly involved to help take out Tehran's nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his country's attacks as seeking to eliminate a nuclear threat from Iran, which has long maintained that its uranium enrichment program is meant for civilian purposes.
President Trump is weighing U.S. strikes among a range of options targeting Iranian sites. The president has recently edged closer toward U.S. involvement in the Middle East conflict, prompting pushback from Moscow, a top ally of Iran.
Russia's Interfax news agency reported Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Wednesday that direct U.S. military assistance to Israel would escalate Middle East tensions.
"This would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation," it cited Ryabkov as saying.
The MFA said in its statement that it believes Iranian leaders are committed to following the international Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and are pursuing only "peaceful" nuclear endeavors. Moscow also supports the resumption of nuclear deal talks between the U.S. and Iran. Israel's surprise attack on Iran's nuclear and military facilities Thursday derailed the latest round of negotiations that were scheduled to take place over the weekend.
"Russia acknowledges Iran's clear statements reaffirming its unwavering commitment to obligations under the NPT and its readiness to resume contacts with the United States to explore potential solutions that would dispel any unfounded suspicions and prejudices regarding Tehran’s nuclear programme – provided Israeli attacks cease," the MFA said. "Moscow supports this stance and firmly maintains that a sustainable resolution can only be reliably achieved through diplomacy and negotiations."
"The objectives of nuclear non-proliferation, the cornerstone of which remains the NPT, must not be pursued through aggression or at the cost of innocent lives," it added.
Russia accused Western countries of using the military conflict between Israel and Iran to punish "disfavoured nations."
"Clearly, the attempts of the Western camp to manipulate the global nuclear non-proliferation regime in order to settle political scores with disfavoured nations come at a high cost to the international community and are entirely unacceptable," the statement read.