The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the “illegal and unprovoked aggression” by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, as well as the resulting international crisis which is continuing to escalate and intensify, in a statement issued on April 6. “The strikes that target not only military facilities but also civilian infrastructure, including the increasing number of strikes on nuclear facilities under the IAEA safeguards, are becoming increasingly violent and destructive,” it said. “The growing number of reckless attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has been a matter of special concern. These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties. A shadow of radioactive disaster more destructive than Chernobyl is hanging over the Persian Gulf region and the adjacent part of Eurasia.”
“The Foreign Ministry reiterates its call for the immediate termination of hostilities,” the statement continued. “We welcome the efforts taken by several states, including Pakistan, Türkiye and China, to de-escalate tensions around Iran in order to launch a dialogue on a lasting and sustainable normalisation in the Middle East. We have taken note of the April 2 statement by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in which he urged the United States and Israel to stop the war that is inflicting immense human suffering and already triggering devastating economic consequences, and called on Iran to stop attacking their neighbors.” Moscow said a diplomatic resolution remains possible and urged all sides to avoid actions that could plunge the region into wider chaos.
