Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced yesterday continued Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal and said a solution to the conflict over Tehran’s nuclear programme could only be found through diplomacy.
“The continuing intensive attacks by Israel on Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites are illegal in terms of international law and create unacceptable threats to international security and push the world to a nuclear catastrophe...,” the ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram.
It said that widespread condemnation of Israeli actions showed that Israel had found support only “from those states who are in fact co-participants and act for opportunistic reasons.”
The ministry noted Iran’s “clear statements about its unaltered commitment to the obligations of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its readiness to renew contacts with the US to work out possible solutions” removing all doubts about Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“Moscow supports this stand and firmly believes that the settlement that is being sought can only be reliably achieved through diplomacy and negotiations,” it said.
The statement also said Moscow was waiting for the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide “as soon as possible a detailed written report ... with an objective and unvarnished assessment of damage” to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia was ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, and its previous proposal to store Iranian uranium in Russia remained on the table.
UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed has warned of “uncalculated and reckless steps” that could spill out beyond the borders of Iran and Israel, according to a statement by the foreign ministry yesterday.
UAE President Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed in a phone call the Israeli strikes on Iran, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported later in the day.
The Emirati president said the Gulf country is conducting intensive talks with concerned parties to calm the situation, WAM said.
He also expressed solidarity with Iran and its people during the current circumstances, it added.
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday underlined his differences with US President Donald Trump over Iran, appearing to oppose tougher military action against Tehran that could lead to regime change and plunge Iran and the region into chaos.
Macron on Monday had suggested to reporters that Trump was leaving the G7 as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
He was firmly rebuffed Tuesday morning when Trump on X said Macron was mistaken and said his departure had nothing to do with securing a ceasefire.
Since Tuesday morning, Trump has upped the bellicose rhetoric demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warning that US patience was wearing thin as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth day.
Israel has said it launched its operation to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has repeatedly denied.
Macron said Trump appeared to have changed his opinion since he met G7 leaders in Canada on Monday where Macron claimed Trump had told them he was pushing for a ceasefire.
“We don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon,” Macron said. “But the biggest error would be to use military strikes to change the regime because it would then be chaos and our responsibility is to return discussions as quickly as possible to be able to set a course again on the nuclear and ballistic question.”
Macron said Iran’s nuclear programme had to be once again be put under international supervision and its ballistic missile arsenal reduced, but he was categorically opposed to strikes on energy infrastructure, civilians and military action that could lead to regime change.
China is also “deeply worried” about Israel’s military operation against Iran that has escalated tensions in the Middle East, President Xi Jinping said yesterday, in his first public comments on the conflict that erupted last Friday.
Xi, speaking on the sidelines of a summit with five Central Asian nations in the Kazakh capital of Astana, said China opposes any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of other countries.
“All parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and prevent the situation from worsening further,” Xi said, in comments quoted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
China is ready to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East, he added.
Earlier yesterday, the Chinese foreign ministry said China had begun evacuating its citizens from Israel and Iran and was pushing for a ceasefire, as fighting continued for a fifth day.
Chinese authorities are in communication with Iran, Israel and various parties to promote a ceasefire, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
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