Moscow: Iran invoking self-defence following Damascus bombing
Moscow expressed concern at escalation in the Middle East on Sunday following the Iranian overnight attacks on Israel and blamed Western powers for failing to respond to the earlier attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus.
"Unfortunately, due to the position adopted by its Western members, the [UN] Security Council was unable to provide a proper response to the strike on the Iranian consular mission," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Iran was invoking its right to self-defence under the UN Charter, it added. At the time, Russia had condemned the April 1 air attack on the Iranian embassy grounds in the Syrian capital. Israel is widely seen as being behind the attack and has not denied responsibility.
Moscow placed the Iranian response in the context of numerous unresolved conflicts in the Middle East, in particular that between Israel and the Palestinians. These conflicts were being "fueled by irresponsible provocative actions," it said.
"We call on all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint," the Foreign Ministry statement said, calling for political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the problems with the help of "constructively-minded international players."
Russia and Iran, both facing sanctions by Western powers, have strengthened ties over recent years.
