Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov calls on Iran to ensure civilian safety and de-escalate regional tensions during a phone call with his counterpart.

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged ally Iran to ensure the safety of civilians across the Middle East.

The call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi followed President Vladimir Putin’s agreement to relay Gulf states’ security concerns to Tehran.

Lavrov stressed the need to “ensure the safety of the civilian population and civil infrastructure in all countries of the region”.

He also “confirmed a fundamental position in favour of de-escalating the situation and rejecting the use of force”.

The discussion occurred amid regional attacks that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran last Saturday.

Iranian counterattacks on Gulf states and Israel have since prompted several countries to shut their airspace.

This has caused thousands of flight cancellations across Gulf nations, popular with Russian tourists.

Russia’s association of tour operators estimates around 50,000 Russian tourists may be stranded in the United Arab Emirates.

The travel disruption is the biggest since the Covid pandemic.

Facing Western isolation over Ukraine, Putin has sought to strengthen Middle East partnerships.

Moscow maintains close relations with both Iran and the Gulf monarchies.

 The Sun Malaysia