The Russian president condemned the Israeli attack and extended his condolences to Iran, according to the Kremlin press service

Russian President Vladimir Putin. ©  Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held phone conversations with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the escalation in the Middle East following the Israeli strike against Iran.

Israel launched a major attack on Iran overnight targeting nuclear facilities and various military installations. The strikes continued into the day, inflicting considerable material damage and casualties on Iran’s top military leadership and, reportedly, high-profile nuclear scientists.

“The Russian president expressed his condolences to the leadership and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran in connection with the numerous human casualties, including civilians, resulting from the Israeli strikes,” the Kremlin press service said in a statement on Friday.

 

READ MORE: Russia ‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s attack on Iran

Russia “condemns Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and international law,” Putin stressed, according to the statement. At the same time, the Russian leader expressed a readiness to mediate and to “continue to contribute to the de-escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel.”

Putin also underscored the importance of “returning to the negotiation process and resolving all issues related to the Iranian nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means.” The ongoing escalation “is fraught with the most disastrous consequences for the entire region,” he warned.

The Israeli attack comes after five rounds of US-Iranian talks about Tehran's nuclear program that effectively stalled and failed to produce any tangible result. The sixth round of negotiations was expected to take place in Oman on Sunday.

Iran has vowed to retaliate for the attack, insisting that it “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and authorization of the United States.” US President Donald Trump claimed he knew about the impending strikes beforehand, describing them as “very successful.” Trump also suggested Tehran brought the attack upon itself through its alleged reluctance to strike a nuclear deal.

“We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more,” he said, commenting on the attack.