ISTANBUL 

Russia and Iran on Sunday called for avoiding actions that could undermine the remaining chances for a political and diplomatic resolution to the Middle East crisis, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi made the remarks during a phone conversation.

The two sides stressed the need to immediately halt what they described as “reckless and unlawful” attacks on civilian, industrial and energy infrastructure, including Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.

They also emphasized the “unacceptability” of threats to the lives and health of personnel at the facility, warning of the risk of a radioactive catastrophe across the region.

Lavrov expressed hope for de-escalation around Iran, saying this could be facilitated if the US abandons the “language of ultimatums” and returns to a negotiating track.

He also conveyed condolences over the death of a staff member at the Bushehr nuclear plant, which was struck on Saturday.

Regional tensions have surged since the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, which has killed more than 1,340 people, including Iran’s then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has since responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.