The Kremlin urged all parties on Monday to refrain from escalation in relation to Iran after US President Donald Trump said Washington would support another massive strike against the Islamic Republic.
At a joint press conference after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, Trump suggested that Tehran may be working to restore its weapons programs after the US strike in June.
Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program.
“I read that they are building up weapons and other things and if they are, they are not using the sites that we destroyed, but maybe other sites“, Trump told reporters.
Moscow, which has been developing closer ties with Tehran since the start of the war in Ukraine, has called for de-escalation.
“We believe that restraint is needed in any steps that could escalate tensions in the region, and above all, we believe that dialogue with Iran is a necessity,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that Russia would continue to develop close ties with Iran.
U.S. forces struck three major nuclear sites in Iran after joining Israel's 12-day military campaign against Tehran in June. Trump said at the time that the strikes had “destroyed” the Iranian facilities, although later U.S. damage assessments showed that the strikes had only significantly damaged one of the sites – Fordow
Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement this year. The West accuses Tehran of providing missiles and drones for Russian attacks on Ukraine. The Islamic Republic denies the accusations.