Russia Warns The United States Not To Help Israel Fight Iran

JAKARTA - Senior Russian officials warn the United States not to assist Israel in its conflict with Iran.

Israel launched an attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday last week, targeting targets of military and nuclear facilities.

Iran retaliated against the attack by targeting a number of targets in Israeli cities. The attacks on each other between the two countries continued until Wednesday.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkow warned that US direct military aid to Israel could radically disrupt the situation in the Middle East.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 20215 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov told Interfax news agency Moscow urged Washington to refrain from direct involvement.

"This will be a step that will radically disrupt the entire situation," Interfax quoted Ryabkov's statement as saying, criticizing such "spectulative and alleged options".

Sources familiar with the United States' internal discussions said President Donald Trump and his team were considering options including joining Israel in an attack on Iran's nuclear site.

Meanwhile, head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin, said the situation between Iran and Israel was now critical, while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear infrastructure meant the world was "only a few millimeters" from the disaster.

"Nuclear facilities are under attack," he told Reuters, adding the UN nuclear safety watchdog had recorded certain damage.

"Where is the (worry) whole world society? Where are all environmentalists? I don't know if they think they are far away and these (radiational) waves won't reach them. All right, let them read what happened in Fukushima," he said, referring to the 2011 crash at a Japanese nuclear plant.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attack on Friday because it had enough enriched uranium to make several bombs in a few days, so it needed to act, quoted from The Times of Israel.

Israel is known to target three key Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, as well as a number of scientists linked to Iran's nuclear research and development, as reported by CNN.

Tehran itself said it was entitled to peaceful nuclear power, denying developing nuclear weapons. However, its rapidly growing uranium enrichment program has raised concerns in the West and across the Gulf, the country wants to develop nuclear weapons.

Russia is known to have signed a strategic partnership with Iran in January, as well as a relationship with Israel. Russia's offer to mediate in the Israeli-Iran conflict has not been taken.

In a 20-year strategic partnership pact signed in January by Iranian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russia has promised not to help Tehran militarily and is not obliged to do so, even though the two countries have close military ties.