The strikes on Iran were planned under the cover of negotiations with Tehran, a tactic that the West has already tested with the Minsk agreements. This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova for Soloviev Live, quoted by TASS.
"There were no talks about Iran's withdrawal from the negotiations, no drastic steps. Accordingly, these strikes were planned, as many have said today, both here and abroad, under the cover of those who allegedly negotiated with those who carried out these strikes, she said. So, we see this tactic again. It has already been tested and used for many years when Westerners were discussing the Minsk agreements."
The diplomat recalled that the West has repeatedly stated regarding the Minsk agreements that "consultations are needed on how they are implemented, that Russia should implement them even more strictly, and that negotiations are needed". "And then suddenly they said that they were just deceiving everyone and in fact aimed at militarizing the regime in Kiev," Zakharova noted.
We recall that the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on Saturday. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The White House justified the attack, citing missile and nuclear threats from Iran.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation. Missile and drone launches from Iran have been reported, and air raid sirens have been heard in the Tel Aviv area. According to the Mehr news agency, US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have also been hit.
Countries in the region are closing their airspace and airlines are suspending flights.