Russia slams US , Israel over destructive policies , warns strike on Iran could ignite region

presstv.ir · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Russia’s ambassador to Tehran has slammed the United States and Israel over their “destructive policies,” warning that any aggression on Iran would trigger “unpredictable and devastating consequences” for West Asia and beyond. “Unfortunately, the destructive policies of the United States, Israel, and a number of Western countries have led to a significant complication of the situation in the Middle East over the past year,” Alexey Dedov told RT, noting that they have filled the region with “time bombs.” “The greatest threat is the risk of military escalation in the region, which poses a serious risk extending far beyond the Middle East,” the Russian diplomat added. He said that, amid “irresponsible” calls from Western capitals pushing for renewed aggression against Iran, on pretexts "ranging from alleged support for protesters to efforts to dismantle Iran’s missile program," Moscow “resolutely rejects this kind of subversive interference by third countries in Iran’s internal affairs, which grossly violates the fundamental principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.” He expressed Russia's readiness to contribute to the diplomatic settlement of the current situation in the region. “We are closely monitoring the situation and, if requested, are ready to provide assistance,” Dedov said of ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington. The envoy noted that “Iranian diplomats are always open to engagement and consistently prioritize political and diplomatic methods on the international stage, which favorably distinguishes their work from the aggressive and unfounded rhetoric of Western actors.” He attributed “the crisis in diplomacy between Iran and the West” to “the desire to force Iran to submit to the neocolonial frameworks of the US and the EU. Numerous illegal sanctions, interference in Iran’s internal affairs, coercive actions, and military-political pressure are all favored tools used by the West to achieve this goal.” Dedov emphasized that Iran is more prepared to respond to any aggression than it was during the last war in June, when the US and Israel carried out strikes against facilities of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program “that were under the guarantees of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in violation of all norms of international law and, particularly cynically, at the height of the negotiation process between Iran and the US.” He said that Russia hopes diplomacy prevails, warning that a war on Iran would bring only grief and casualties, solve nothing, and risk dragging the entire West Asia into a chaotic, uncontrollable conflict.