Russia calls on Israel and US to end the Iran war

Russia has urged the US and Israel to stop military strikes on Iran, calling for negotiations to resolve the escalating Middle East conflict and warning of thousands of civilian casualties.

Reuters

March 12, 2026

Russia calls on Israel and US to end the Iran war

Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends a press conference following a meeting of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Erywan Yusof in Moscow, Russia, March 3, 2026.

Pavel Bednyakov/Reuters

Russia on Thursday called on Israel and the United States to end their attacks on Iran and come to the negotiating table.

"Russia will continue to take steps to end the escalation in the Middle East as soon as possible and resolve any contradictions by peaceful means," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"The number of victims of the illegal military action of Washington and Tel Aviv among the civilian population of Iran, according to the authorities, is in the thousands," she said.

-Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge/Reuters