⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement on the situation in the Middle East (March 5, 2026) 💬 Moscow is deeply concerned that the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate. There are no signs that the US and Israel – which launched a military operation under a completely far-fetched pretext aimed at overthrowing the legitimate authorities in Iran – are prepared to show restraint and stop the bloodshed. On the contrary, belligerent statements continue to flow from their capitals, while the Israeli army has carried out a new incursion into Lebanon. Meanwhile, the aggressors are seeking to sow division within the Islamic world in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan. They deliberately provoked Iran into retaliatory strikes against facilities in several Arab countries, which resulted in human casualties and material damage – developments that the Russian side deeply regrets. In doing so, they are attempting to draw Arab states into a war serving someone else’s interests. At the same time, they are trying to divert attention from the catastrophic plight of the Palestinian people. Russia once again calls on all parties to the current confrontation to immediately cease hostilities, including unacceptable strikes on the territory of the Arab states of the Gulf. We consider attacks on civilians and strikes against any civilian infrastructure – whether in Iran or in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – to be absolutely unacceptable. ❗️ It is clear that the only way to prevent the region from sliding further into the abyss of destabilization is to stop the aggression of the US and Israel, which triggered this chain reaction of suffering for the Arab peoples.