Amid Iran’s direct military attack on Israel in early hours of Sunday, the governments of Russia and China have taken a position on the development, expressing concern.
Iran launched a military attack on Israel, blaming the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for destroying their embassy in Damascus, the capital of Syria, recently.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, on Sunday, further maintained that Tehran’s leadership is ready for any eventuality apparently from Israel.
- “Exercising the right of legitimate defense demonstrates Iran’s responsible approach to regional and international peace and security.
- “At this point, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression,” Amirabdollahian said in a statement published on the Iran Foreign Affairs website.
Following Iran’s attack, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his government has been preparing for war with Iran.
“In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran.
“Our defensive systems are deployed. We are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong,” he said in a televised address last night.
What Russia is saying about the Iran-Israel conflict
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on Sunday denouncing the attack on Iran’s diplomatic office.
The ministry also faulted the United Nations’ weak stance on Tehran.
It stated,
- “In the early hours of April 14, a large number of missiles and drones were launched at the territory of Israel. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, this attack was undertaken as part of the right to self-defence stipulated in Article 51 of the UN Charter in response to the attacks on Iranian targets in the region, including the strike on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus on April 1, which our country strongly denounced.
- “Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission.”
The ministry expressed Russia’s “extreme concern” at the dangerous escalation in the region, warning that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, “which are often fueled by irresponsible provocative actions,” will exacerbate tensions.
The statement added,
- “We call on all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint. We expect the regional states to resolve the existing problems through political and diplomatic means. We believe it is important for the constructively-minded international players to contribute to this effort.
- “We encourage the Russian citizens residing in Israel and neighbouring countries, primarily Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, to follow media reports and practical recommendations posted on the Foreign Ministry’s newsfeed, the official websites of Russian foreign missions in the above countries, the Consular Department and the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Centre (department), including in the relevant section of the updated Assistant Abroad mobile application.”
What China is saying
Like Russia, China expressed concern at the developments but called on influential countries to stabilise the tension and the region.
It described the conflict as a fallout of Israel’s war on Hamas of Palestine.
China stated,
- “China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations. The ongoing situation is the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict. There should be no more delays in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2728 and the conflict must end now.
- “China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region.”
More Insights
- China and Russia are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the apex body of the international agency.
- Their foreign policy is usually in sharp contrast with that of the United States whose president, Joe Biden, recently promised Israel “Iron-clad” support following Iran’s attack.
- Also, Russia and China are seen as economic and military power houses whose views shape International politics.
