Russia voices alarm over reports of planned new military action on Iran
Moscow called for more diplomacy and urged the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal, while accusing the United States of an unlawful blockade of Iran.
Russia voiced alarm on Monday over reports of planned new military action against Iran, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the situation around Iran as complicated, saying Tehran had been hit by unprovoked aggression from the United States and Israel.
She said the conflict has not been settled and is tied to other crises across the Middle East.
Zakharova called for stepped-up diplomacy to calm the situation and backed the mediators trying to move negotiations forward.
She said Moscow was ready to help find solutions acceptable to all sides and to help put them into practice.
Zakharova expressed hope that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would soon return to normal, taking into account the interests of coastal states and countries that want to use the waterway safely.
She said that applied fully to Iran, which she said is facing an unlawful maritime blockade imposed by the United States.
Tensions have remained high since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.
Despite later diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, disputes over security arrangements and navigation through the strait have continued.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the open sea and carries a large share of global oil shipments.
