US attacks on Iran risk global conflict, Russia and China warn

Russia called the US strikes connected Iran ‘unjustified’ and ‘unprovoked’, portion China warned they ‘set a atrocious precedent’.

Russia and China person powerfully condemned US attacks connected Iranian atomic sites, informing they could resistance the satellite into a broader warfare and acceptable a unsafe planetary precedent.

The reactions came conscionable hours earlier Iran launched missiles astatine the US basal successful Qatar connected Monday successful effect to Sunday’s strikes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Monday described the American strikes arsenic “unjustified” and said they were pushing the satellite towards a perilous tipping point.

Speaking aft talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi astatine the Kremlin, Putin said Moscow would effort to assistance the Iranian radical but stopped abbreviated of detailing how.

“The perfectly unprovoked aggression against Iran has nary ground and nary justification,” Putin told Araghchi. “For our part, we are making efforts to assistance the Iranian people.”

The Chinese authorities besides weighed in, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemning some the Israeli strikes connected Iran and the US bombardment of its atomic facilities. He said the rationale of attacking implicit “possible aboriginal threats” sent the incorrect awesome to the satellite and urged a instrumentality to diplomacy.

Wang called for each parties to “immediately resume dialog and negotiation”, informing the escalation risked destabilising the region.

Bringing the satellite ‘to a precise unsafe line’

Tensions person soared successful caller days, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials openly discussing the anticipation of assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and pushing for authorities alteration – moves the Kremlin warned could plunge the portion into a full-blown war.

During the high-level Kremlin gathering connected Monday, Araghchi reportedly handed Putin a connection from Khamenei, though the contents were not disclosed. A elder Iranian root told the Reuters quality bureau the missive called for accrued Russian support, but Moscow has not confirmed receiving immoderate specified appeal.

Later, portion addressing a gathering of elite subject recruits, Putin spoke much broadly astir increasing instability. “Extra-regional powers are besides being drawn into the conflict,” helium said. “All this brings the satellite to a precise unsafe line.”

Despite signing a 20-year strategical pact with Iran earlier this year, Russia has avoided making factual subject commitments to support Tehran, and the statement lacks immoderate communal defence clause.

Iranian frustration

Iranian officials, speaking anonymously to Reuters, expressed vexation with Moscow’s perceived inaction. They said Tehran felt fto down by some Russia and China, contempt repeated calls for support.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov declined to accidental whether Iran had asked for weapons oregon subject assistance but insisted Moscow’s ties with Tehran remained strong. “Our strategical concern with Iran is unbreakable,” Ryabkov said, adding that Iran had each close to support itself.

Still, the Kremlin appears wary of immoderate determination that mightiness provoke a nonstop confrontation with Washington, peculiarly arsenic Trump seeks to easiness tensions with Moscow amid the warfare successful Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said US-Iran developments would not impact the Russia-US dialogue, calling them “separate processes”.

Memories of US-led wars successful the Middle East inactive linger. At Sunday’s United Nations Security Council session, Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia drew comparisons with the 2003 Iraq invasion. He recalled however the US falsely claimed Iraq held weapons of wide destruction.

“Again, we’re being asked to judge the US’s fairytales,” Nebenzia said. “This cements our condemnation that past has taught our US colleagues nothing.”

Russia, China and Pakistan person jointly submitted a solution calling for an contiguous and unconditional ceasefire successful the Middle East.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies