Russia warns US‑Iran clashes could trigger wider global crisis

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mariya Zaharova told a weekly press briefing in Moscow that renewed fighting between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz threatens to expand into a regional crisis with global repercussions. She urged all parties to abandon confrontational approaches and return to diplomatic negotiations, recalling a previous agreement brokered in Islamabad. Zaharova also warned that the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine and increased NATO activity would further jeopardise Russian security, describing such moves as "unacceptable" and "legitimate targets" for Russia.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed similar concerns, condemning recent U.S. attacks on Iran as a breach of the Tehran‑Washington accord and highlighting the danger to civilian infrastructure in Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council states. Lavrov criticised the United States for undermining international treaties, including the Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty, and stressed that the escalation undermines prospects for a diplomatic solution.