Moscow, June 18, 2025: Russia on Wednesday issued a stern warning to the United States against providing any form of direct military assistance to Israel, amid intensifying hostilities between Israel and Iran. A senior Russian official cautioned that even speculative discussions of such involvement could further inflame an already volatile situation in the Middle East.
“We warn Washington against even speculative, theoretical options of direct military assistance to Israel. Such a step would radically destabilize the entire situation,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in a statement to Interfax news agency.
Ryabkov criticized the U.S. role in the region, accusing Washington of perpetually inserting itself into Middle Eastern conflicts. “The U.S. has historically been at the forefront of all regional processes. Any intervention at this point would not represent a deviation, but a dangerous escalation,” he said.
The remarks come amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Iran and Israel. On June 13, Israel launched a series of extensive airstrikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, claiming the attacks were aimed at dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
In retaliation, Iran fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones into Israeli territory, triggering alarms of a broader regional war. Since the exchange began at least 24 people have been killed in Israel, with hundreds more injured, according to Israeli authorities while in Iran, 585 people have reportedly been killed and over 1,300 wounded, according to Iranian media, as a result of sustained Israeli strikes on military and civilian sites.
