Russia tells Israel to not even consider attacking Iran nuclear facilities, TASS says

Russia is warning Israel to not even consider striking Iranian nuclear facilities, state news agency, TASS, quoted Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, as saying on Thursday, Reuters reports.

After Iran’s missile attack on Israel on 1 October, there has been speculation that Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, as it has long threatened to do.

“We have repeatedly warned and continue to warn, to caution (Israel) against even hypothetically considering the possibility of a strike on (Iranian) nuclear facilities and nuclear infrastructure,” Ryabkov was quoted by TASS as saying.

“This would be a catastrophic development and a complete negation of all existing principles in the area of ​​ensuring nuclear safety.”

It was not clear in what form Moscow had conveyed such a message to Israel.

Meanwhile, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, warned Israel against retaliating for the missile strike Iran launched on Israel on 1 October, as Israel intensifies its aggression on Lebanon and its war on Gaza.

Salami said in a televised speech: “If you commit any aggression on any site, we will painfully strike a similar site of yours.” He added that Iran is capable of breaching Israel’s defences, amid rising fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East as Israel plans its response to Iran’s missile attack.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin discussed with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, strategies to prevent a broader conflict in the Middle East, focusing on Israeli operations in Lebanon and Gaza. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Cairo to engage in discussions with Egyptian officials as part of his Middle East tour.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel would listen to the United States, which has also cautioned against striking nuclear facilities in Iran, but would determine its actions according to its own national interest.

The statement was attached to a Washington Post article which said Netanyahu had told President Joe Biden’s administration that Israel would strike Iranian military targets, not nuclear or oil targets.

Russian state media also quoted Ryabkov as saying that Moscow was in constant contact with Iran, irrespective of the level of tensions in the region.

Russia has strengthened ties with the Islamic Republic since the start of its war in Ukraine and is preparing to sign a major partnership agreement with Tehran.

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