Moscow, March 1 On Sunday, Russia called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomacy, stating that it must take into account "the legitimate interests of all Gulf states" as Iran retaliated against Israel and US bases in neighboring countries.
Iran's retaliation came after its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Saturday during a joint Israeli-US attack, prompting the Islamic nation to vow revenge on Sunday.
"We call for an immediate de-escalation, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to the political and diplomatic process to resolve existing problems based on the UN Charter and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)," the Russian Foreign Ministry (MFA) said in a statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the news of the death of Khamenei, several members of his family, and high-ranking Iranian officials as a result of US and Israeli air strikes was met with outrage and deep regret in Moscow.
"The Russian Federation resolutely and consistently condemns the practice of political assassinations and the 'hunting' of leaders of sovereign states, which contradicts the fundamental principles of civilized interstate relations and grossly violates international law," the MFA statement said, also pointing to the vast damage to civilian infrastructure in the region.
The Foreign Ministry's statement came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in his message to his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, that Khamenei's killing was a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.
"Please accept my deepest condolences in connection with the assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law," Putin said in his condolence message, the Kremlin said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also cautioned that the closure of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt hydrocarbon exports from the region and create a significant imbalance in global oil and gas markets.
Experts have warned that the war can shake global fuel markets if Iran chooses to make the Strait of Hormuz unsafe, a vital maritime channel through which around 20 per cent of the world's traded oil passes.
Earlier on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had phone calls with several counterparts from the Gulf states, including the UAE's Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He also had a key telephone conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The two ministers underscored the unity of Moscow and Beijing's positions during the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened on Saturday at the initiative of Russia and China.
They expressed their readiness to continue to work together to stabilize the situation by coordinating actions within the Security Council, the IAEA, the SCO, and the Group of Friends of the UN Charter.
The two ministers called for an immediate cessation of military action and emphasized the need for a political and diplomatic resolution of all issues related to the Iranian case, including ensuring the legitimate security interests of all Gulf states," a Foreign Ministry readout said.
