Unprovoked and unacceptable: Russia condemns Israel's Operation Lion strikes on Iran

Moscow on Friday sharply condemned Israel’s airstrike on Iranian territory, describing it as "unprovoked and unacceptable" and warning of serious consequences for regional stability, reported Reuters citing Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

In a strongly worded statement issued after the strikes, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it is “extremely concerned at the dangerous escalation of tensions in the Middle East.”

The Kremlin further accused Israel of acting in blatant violation of international law. “It is clear that Israel’s authorities have made a conscious choice in favour of further escalation of tensions,” the ministry said, as reported by RIA.


“Russia strongly condemns Israel’s use of force against Iran in violation of the UN Charter,” the statement added.

The condemnation comes hours after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a dramatic and unprecedented military operation deep inside Iranian territory. The Israeli Air Force targeted several nuclear and military facilities across central Iran in what officials in Tel Aviv described as a “preemptive and precise” mission to eliminate threats from Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the operation was intended to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” Around five civilians were killed and 20 injured in the Israeli attack, reported AFP citing Iranian state media. Moreover, six Iranian nuclear scientists and three military commanders also lost their lives in the strikes on the country's nuclear and army sites.

Meanwhile, Tehran has said that the Operation Lion strikes are a 'declaration of war,' the news agency further reported. In light of the escalating tensions of war, the Ayatollah Khamenei-led nation also urged the United Nations Security Council to take appropriate action.

The strike, conducted in the early hours of Friday, marked a significant escalation in the long-simmering hostilities between the two regional powers.