Russia Blames the US and Israel for Blocking the Normalization of Iran's Relations with Neighboring Countries

Russia on Tuesday blamed the United States and Israel for trying to block efforts to normalize relations between Iran and its neighbors, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticizing President Donald Trump for saying he was "not interested in international law."

"What we are now observing in relations in the region shows that the United States and Israel are trying to prevent the normalization of relations between Iran and its neighboring countries and even trying to 'incite' members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to fight against Iran," Lavrov said in a meeting of the Russian International Affairs Council in Moscow, reported by Anadolu (1/4).

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Lavrov criticized the statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a "grave violation of international law," and reminded that two days earlier, US President Donald Trump said he was not interested in international law.

According to the senior diplomat, the current conflict is a struggle for the leading position in the world.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said he held a video conference with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Monday, which lasted more than two hours.

"Some countries insist that Iran is 'just waiting for an excuse to attack them'," Lavrov said, noting that Moscow strongly disagreed with this assessment.

"Russia considers the use of military force against civilians and civilian infrastructure unacceptable," he said, calling for an immediate cessation of US and Israeli aggression against Iran.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Moscow was ready to help the parties involved in the Middle East conflict in resolving the situation through diplomatic channels.

"Russia supports the immediate cessation of US and Israeli aggression against Iran. We consider the use of military force against civilians and civilian infrastructure unacceptable, wherever it is, whether in Iran or in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council," he explained.

"It can be said that we are in the midst of a restructuring of the world order, which is expected to lead to the formation of a stable and just multipolar world. But for now, this restructuring looks more like destruction, in every sense of the word," he said.

He added: "Overall, the struggle for leadership positions in the new world is taking place very seriously - a life and death struggle. We see this almost every day."