Russian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss 'grave military, political crisis' in Mideast

ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Friday discussed the “grave military and political crisis” in the Middle East, triggered by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that during a phone call, Lavrov also informed Araghchi about the delivery of a new batch of humanitarian aid to Tehran.

The US and Israel have been carrying out strikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure, while disrupting global markets and aviation.

Lavrov and Araghchi also exchanged views on prospects for redirecting the conflict toward a political and diplomatic settlement based on international law, and taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region, it said.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry announced earlier the delivery of 313 tons of medical supplies at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This is the second large consignment of medical supplies,” the statement added.

The ministry underlined that the “successful operation” was made possible due to Azerbaijan’s assistance.