MOSCOW
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed over the phone on Wednesday situation in the Middle East with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, calling for an end to the conflict with Iran.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that two diplomats expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in the region.
"The ministers expressed deep concern over the current dangerous situation in the Middle East, which has sharply deteriorated due to the unprovoked aggression of the USA and Israel against Iran," the statement said.
Lavrov and Abdelatty called for the swiftest end to this conflict, which is leading to casualties among the civilian population and causing damage to civilian infrastructure, according to the readout.
Both ministers all called for the immediate resumption of political and diplomatic efforts in order to achieve sustainable stability and security in the region and agreed to continue contacts and foreign policy coordination at the UN and other international platforms.
Tensions escalated across the region on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran that have so far killed over 1,300 people, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has also extended its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite a November 2024 ceasefire.
Tehran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries that host US assets, and has chosen Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader.