ISTANBUL

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday discussed the escalation of tensions in Iran with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi in a phone conversation.

The focus of the conversation was the ongoing crisis in Iran, “which is being artificially fueled from outside and carries the risk of developing into a large-scale regional conflict,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

The two ministers stressed the importance of preventing “such a negative scenario” and pointed to the need to halt any interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, noting that such actions constitute a gross violation of the fundamental norms of the UN Charter.

Lavrov and Al Busaidi also expressed support for intensifying collective efforts to create favorable conditions for launching a broad, inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue under UN auspices.

Ministers also discussed the further development of multifaceted Russian-Omani relations.

The phone call came amid heightened regional tensions over fears of a possible US strike against Iran.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to back protesters in Iran, where anti-government protests have swept the country since last month, though he softened his rhetoric during remarks at the White House late Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing “riots” and “terrorism” in the protests.

A US-based human rights group said at least 2,677 people were killed during the protests and nearly 19,100 others were detained, while Iranian authorities have not released an official toll yet.