Russia Warns of Escalation as US and Iran Exchange Strikes in Persian Gulf

Moscow – Russia has expressed deep concern over a recent exchange of military strikes between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf region, warning that such incidents risk reigniting a large-scale conflict.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf launched strikes on June 2 against Iranian radar stations and UAV command-and-control facilities on Qeshm Island. She also claimed that a tanker carrying Iranian oil, attempting to break an American-imposed blockade and proceed to Kharg Island, came under attack.

In response, Iranian forces carried out a retaliatory missile strike during the night of June 3, targeting the command centre of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as the Ali Al Salem and Arifjan military bases in Kuwait, Zakharova said.

She added that the passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport was also struck. According to a statement from Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one person was killed and several others injured, with damage reported to critical infrastructure and the premises of foreign diplomatic missions.

“We are deeply concerned by this turn of events, which risks precipitating the resumption of a large-scale military and political conflict in the Persian Gulf region, provoked by the military aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran,” Zakharova told a media briefing.

She strongly urged all parties to refrain from actions that could further escalate tensions and undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation. “We regard strikes on purely civilian infrastructure as categorically unacceptable,” she said.

Zakharova reaffirmed Russia’s consistent support for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf in upholding their sovereignty and territorial integrity. She expressed hope that ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran would lead to sustainable stabilisation in the Middle East.

“We proceed on the assumption that existing differences in the region can and must be resolved through political and diplomatic means, through compromise solutions that take into account the legitimate interests of all nations involved, in accordance with the fundamental norms of international law,” Zakharova said. “We stand ready to continue contributing actively to this end.”