Russian FM discusses Middle East crisis with Iranian counterpart

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a telephone conversation on March 10 with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said the two diplomats continued their exchange of views on the evolving situation in the Middle East, which Moscow described as having “sharply deteriorated” following what it called “unprovoked aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.”

According to the statement, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s “principled position” in favour of a swift de-escalation of tensions and a return to a political and diplomatic settlement.

The Russian foreign minister also emphasised that Moscow remains consistently ready to assist efforts aimed at resolving the crisis, provided that the security interests of Iran and its regional neighbours are properly taken into account, the ministry said.

By Tamilla Hasanova