Russian, Chinese foreign ministers condemn US-Israeli strikes on Iran, call for truce

ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday condemned the massive US-Israeli attacks on Iran, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the two leaders, during a phone call, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and emphasized the need for a political and diplomatic resolution of issues related to Iran, including ensuring the legitimate security interests of all Gulf states.

Lavrov and Wang underlined that the US-Israeli “aggression” violates international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and destabilizes the situation in the entire region.

They rejected policies aimed at "overthrowing the legitimately elected authorities of sovereign states,” the statement said, underlining the unity of Moscow and Beijing’s positions during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

They also expressed readiness to continue working together to stabilize the situation by coordinating actions within the Security Council, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter.

Separately, Lavrov held a phone call with his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed on Saturday, during which the ministers expressed a “unanimous view” on the need to immediately cease all hostilities and return to a political and diplomatic framework, said the statement.

During the call, Lavrov rejected the US-Israeli actions, “which have unleashed unprovoked aggression” against Iran and stressed the destabilizing nature of the military escalation in the region, according to the statement.

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes that hit several Gulf countries.

Israel and the US launched a similar attack on Iran last June, triggering a 12-day war before a ceasefire was announced.