By Muhammad Mamman
Russia has declared it will do “everything possible” to prevent a joint military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran, signalling a deepening geopolitical divide as the Middle East crisis escalates.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would mobilise diplomatic and international efforts to create conditions that would make any such military campaign “impossible”. The statement comes amid rising hostilities following recent US–Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. 
Speaking at a diplomatic roundtable in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia would engage with countries across the region and within the United Nations system to prevent further escalation.
“Russia will do everything to create an atmosphere that will make US and Israeli operations against Iran impossible,” he said, adding that discussions would involve members of the UN Security Council and the broader international community. 
The warning comes as tensions across the Middle East intensify after a series of coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory triggered retaliation from Tehran, including missile and drone attacks targeting regional military assets. 
Russia has sharply criticised the military action, accusing Washington and Tel Aviv of risking a wider regional conflict. Moscow also warned that the escalating hostilities could draw other countries into the crisis and destabilise the already volatile Gulf region. 
Lavrov further questioned the strategic objectives of the US-Israeli campaign, arguing that even American policymakers had not clearly defined the ultimate goal of the operation. According to him, one possible consequence could be deeper divisions among Gulf states and between Iran and its Arab neighbours. 
The Russian government has proposed diplomatic engagement and a moratorium on attacks that could harm civilians and infrastructure, urging all sides to pursue dialogue rather than further military confrontation. 
As the crisis unfolds, global powers including Russia and China have increasingly called for restraint, warning that the confrontation could spiral into a broader war with severe economic and security consequences for the region and beyond. 
