Russia doing everything to prevent major war in Middle East — senior diplomat

MOSCOW | TASS |  Russia is making every effort to prevent the Middle East from descending into a major conflict, Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated at the 4th International Russia-Middle East Forum.

“We are making every effort to prevent the region from sliding into the abyss of a major war, to break this vicious circle of endless retaliatory strikes,” the deputy minister pointed out.

Bogdanov noted that Moscow remains in contact with all parties involved, urging them to avoid actions that could lead to the situation “spiraling out of control.” “A catastrophic scenario is not in the interests of countries in the Near and Middle East. I am convinced that the key to long-term stability is the swift prevention of further bloodshed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone and the establishment of conditions for a political and diplomatic resolution,” the senior diplomat added.

Israeli strikes on Iran

On October 26, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced surgical strikes on military targets in Iran “in response to months of continuous attacks.” The Iranian military reported that some facilities in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam were targeted, but claimed that Israel caused only limited damage, as the country’s air defense systems intercepted the main impact.

On October 1, the Islamic Republic launched a massive missile attack on Israel in response to the killing of senior officials from the Palestinian movement Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the Israeli side, around 180 projectiles were fired, with most of them being intercepted. Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei warned that the attacks on Israel would then only be expanded.