Moscow: Russia warned on Saturday that an “explosive escalation” in hostilities between Iran and Israel could spiral out of control, after Israel bombed military targets in the Islamic Republic.
Israel warned Tehran that it would “pay a heavy price” if it responded to retaliatory strikes, and the United States and Britain called on Iran not to escalate the conflict further.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said she was concerned about the “continuing explosive escalation” in the region.
She said in a statement: “We urge all parties concerned to exercise restraint, stop the violence, and prevent events from developing into a catastrophic scenario.”
The Israeli army says that Israel is responding to Iran with strikes on military targets
She added: “It is necessary to stop provoking Iran to carry out retaliatory actions and break out of the spiral of uncontrollable escalation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a BRICS summit of emerging nations this week that tensions between the two regional heavyweights could lead to a full-scale war in the Middle East.
“The level of confrontation between Israel and Iran has risen sharply. “All of this is reminiscent of a chain reaction and puts the entire Middle East on the brink of full-scale war.”
Moscow has close relations with Iran and has expressed concerns about a broader conflict in the region where it has security and economic interests.