Russia warns US against assisting Israel, or even considering it
Russia has issued a stark warning to the United States against military action targeting Iran, cautioning that such a move could “radically destabilise” the Middle East and risk a nuclear catastrophe.
The statements, made by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, come amid escalating tensions driven by ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Speaking on the sidelines of an economic forum in St Petersburg, Ryabkov told Interfax news agency that Moscow is urging Washington to avoid direct involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, which has seen six days of intense air warfare.
Ryabkov cautioned the US against supplying such assistance to Israel, or even considering it.
“This would be a step that would radically destabilise the entire situation,” Ryabkov said, dismissing US military options as “speculative, conjectural.”
He also warned that US military aid to Israel could further inflame the region, urging restraint.
Zakharova escalated concerns, telling that Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure have brought the world “millimetres away from catastrophe.”
She highlighted damage to nuclear facilities, as noted by the UN nuclear safety watchdog, and criticized the global community’s muted response.
Russia, which signed a strategic partnership with Iran in January and maintains strained ties with Israel due to its war in Ukraine, has offered to mediate but found no takers.
Ryabkov confirmed that Russia and the US are in contact regarding the conflict, reflecting Moscow’s efforts to prevent further escalation.
Israel claims its strikes aim to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, while Tehran denies pursuing atomic arms.
Source: Al Jazeera
