Russia says it is ‘extremely concerned’ about rising tensions in Mideast

MOSCOW: Russia said on Wednesday that it is “extremely concerned” about heightened tensions in the Middle East, calling on sides to exercise restraint and immediately cease strikes.

“We are extremely concerned about the new round of US-Iranian armed conflict, which began with the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters during a press briefing.

Calling on sides to exercise restraint and immediately cease military strikes, Zakharova highlighted attacks on civilian infrastructure as “categorically inadmissible.”

Zakharova said Russia remains convinced there is no alternative to a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict based on international law and the security interests of all regional states.

"Increasing attention is being paid to the security of the entire region. We hope for the situation to return to a political and diplomatic framework as soon as possible,” she added.

The spokeswoman noted, in this context, that Russia is ready to facilitate the identification and implementation of mutually acceptable solutions.

Zakharova's remarks come after the US launched strikes on southern Iran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US fighter jets struck Iranian air defence systems and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz in response to the downing of the US Army Apache helicopter.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Wednesday that it launched retaliatory attacks on 21 American military targets at US air and naval bases across the region.

The incident followed several days of fluctuating tensions in the region, during which Israel and Iran traded military strikes before pulling back, underscoring the fragility of a ceasefire.