Russia has issued a stern warning to US President Donald Trump against providing direct military aid to Israel amidst its ongoing exchange of airstrikes with Iran.
The Middle Eastern adversaries have been locked in conflict for six days, following Israel’s pre-emptive strike on Iran due to unverified fears that Tehran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, cautioned that American intervention would destabilise the region and urged Trump to dismiss any “speculative options.
“Such a move would drastically destabilise the entire situation,” Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted the minister as saying.
On Tuesday, Trump asserted the United States had “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” alongside Israel, suggesting potential direct involvement from the military superpower, reports the Irish Star.
He later posted on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. military “know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ [Ali Khamenei] is hiding.
“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill! ), at least not for now… [but] our patience is wearing thin.”
It is estimated that nearly 600 people have been killed by Israel’s continued bombing of Iran, while over 24 Israeli casualties have been confirmed in retaliatory strikes.
Meanwhile, Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, stated “The situation [between Israel and Iran] is critical.”
In January, Vladimir Putin inked a strategic partnership treaty with his Iranian counterpart, aiming to bolster military and economic ties between the two countries amidst U. S sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin is set to field questions from international journalists about the Middle Eastern conflict during a roundtable discussion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Wednesday.
A representative for the 72 year old leader recently criticised Israel’s “actions that have led to such a dangerous escalation in tension,” in the region.
In the meantime, numerous U.S. Airforce refuelling tankers and jets have been sighted crossing the North Atlantic and European skies, indicating a potential level of U.S. involvement.
Additionally, a second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, has been dispatched to the Middle East after a stint in the South China Sea.