Russia called Iran the United States “unjust” and “unprovoked” but warned that China has “set a bad precedent.”
Russia and China have vehemently condemned US attacks on US Iran’s nuclear sites, warning them to drag the world into wider wars and set dangerous international precedents.
The reaction came hours before Iran launched a missile at a US base in Qatar on Monday, in response to Sunday’s strike.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called the US strike “unjust” and said they were pushing the world towards a dangerous turning point.
After discussing with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut in the Kremlin, President Putin said Moscow was trying to help Iranian people but stopped stopping details on how to do so.
“There is no basis or justification for an absolutely unprovoked attack on Iran,” Putin told Araguchi. “On our part, we are trying to support the people of Iran.”
The Chinese government also oppressed Wang’s foreign minister by denounced both Israeli attacks on Iran and US artillery bombardment of its nuclear facilities. He said the rationale of attacking “possible future threats” sent false signals to the world, prompting a return to diplomacy.
The King urged all parties to “restart dialogue and negotiations immediately,” warning that escalation risked destabilizing the region.
Bringing the world to “very dangerous lines”
Tensions have skyrocketed recently, with US President Donald Trump and Israeli officials openly debating the possibility of assassinating Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and pushing for a change of government.
At the high-level Kremlin meeting on Monday, Araguchi reportedly handed Putin a message from Khamenei, but the details have not been revealed. A senior Iranian source told Reuters in a letter calling for increased support from Russia, but Moscow has not confirmed that it has received such an appeal.
Later, while working on a gathering of elite recruits, Putin spoke more widely about the growing instability. “Outside authority is also drawn into the conflict,” he said. “This will make the world a very dangerous line.”
Despite signing a 20-year strategic agreement with Iran earlier this year, Russia has shunned a concrete military commitment to defending Tehran, and the agreement lacks mutual defense clauses.
Iran’s frustration
Iranian officials spoke anonymously to Reuters and expressed their dissatisfaction with Moscow’s perceived inaction. They said they felt disappointed in both Russia and China despite repeated demands for support.
Russian vice minister Sergei Lyabkov refused to say whether Iran sought weapons or military aid, but argued that Moscow’s ties with Tehran were strong. “The strategic partnership with Iran will not break,” Liyabakov said, adding that Iran has all the rights to protect itself.
Still, the Kremlin appears cautious about moves that could cause a direct conflict with Washington, particularly as Trump aims to ease tensions with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said US-Iran’s development had no impact on dialogue with Russia and did not call them “separate processes.”
Memories of the US-led war in the Middle East still remain. During a UN Security Council session on Sunday, UN voy Vasly Nevenzia, the United Nations in Russia, compared it to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He recalled that the US had falsely claimed Iraq had held weapons of mass destruction.
“Again, we are being asked to believe American fairy tales,” Nevenzia said. “This solidifies our belief that history teaches nothing to our American colleagues.”
Russia, China and Pakistan jointly submitted resolutions calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.
