Putin shared surprising advice with his Iranian counterpart following unprecedented attack on Israel

Russian President Vladimir Poutine has joined international calls for composure in the Middle East as tensions remain high following Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend.

“Vladimir Putin expressed hope that all parties would show reasonable restraint and prevent a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region,” the Kremlin said in a readout of an appeal with Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi, according to a translation by The Times of Moscow.

“Ebrahim Raisi stressed that Iran’s actions were of a forced and limited nature: at the same time, he underlined Tehran’s disinterest in a further escalation of tensions,” the Kremlin added. “Both sides stated that the root cause of current events in the Middle East is the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“In this regard, the principled approaches of Russia and Iran in favor of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, relief of the difficult humanitarian situation and the creation of conditions for “a political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis have been confirmed,” the Kremlin concluded, adding that the call discussed “in detail” the airstrike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

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On Saturday evening, Iran launched hundreds of drones and a mix of cruise and ballistic missiles in retaliation for strikes against its diplomatic mission or, as other reports claim, against a nearby Revolutionary Guard Corps compound. Islamic Republic (IRGC) in Damascus.

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The strike killed seven IRGC members, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander-in-chief of the forces since the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

Israel has never taken credit for the attack, but other countries, including the United States, have attributed the attack to the Jewish state.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly wanted to retaliate directly, but changed his plans after President Biden told him to “achieve victory” and stressed that the United States would not support any direct response to the Iranian strike. Instead, Israel struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

However, Israel continued to emphasize its desire and intention to retaliate against Iran, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant telling US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday that Israel had no choice but to answer.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi added on Monday that “Israel is considering the next steps” and that “launching as many missiles and drones on Israeli territory will result in retaliation,” Axios reported.

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The insistence on retaliation, despite pressure from Israel’s closest and arguably most vital ally to do otherwise, continues to worry the international community.

“The Middle East is on the brink of collapse,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at a Security Council meeting called Sunday in response to the strikes. “People in the region face the real risk of a devastating, large-scale conflict. Now is the time to de-escalate and de-escalate.”

Biden continued to intensify his push for a ceasefire agreement, telling the Iraqi prime minister that the United States is “committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent the conflict of extending itself beyond what it already has.”

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel,” the president said, according to an excerpt of the phone call. White House national security communications spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the president “is certainly not seeking war with Iran, and I am confident that Prime Minister Netanyahu is aware of the concerns Of the president “.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Original article source: Putin shared surprising advice with his Iranian counterpart following unprecedented attack on Israel