“The ongoing intensive attacks by the Israeli side on peaceful nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran are illegal from the point of view of international law, create unacceptable threats to international security, and push the world toward a nuclear catastrophe, the consequences of which will be felt everywhere, including in Israel itself,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in statement.
“Russia calls on the Israeli leadership to … immediately cease the raids on nuclear installations and sites that are under safeguards and are objects of IAEA verification activities,” it added.
The statement also accused unidentified Western countries of acting “out of opportunistic considerations” in supporting Israel’s actions, saying “It is obvious that attempts by the Western bloc to manipulate the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and use it to settle political scores with undesirable countries are extremely costly for the international community and absolutely unacceptable.”
It added that Russia had noted Iran’s “unwavering commitment” to its obligations to adhere to the non-proliferation treaty “and its readiness to resume contacts with the United States,” stating that a solution to the conflict could be “ensured only through diplomacy and negotiations.”
Israel launched a bombardment campaign against Iran on Friday, targeting military and nuclear sites as well as residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, killing dozens of people, including top military officials and nuclear scientists.
Iran has responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles, many of which have penetrated Israel’s air defences, causing widespread damage across the occupied territories.
