MOSCOW: Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as “a pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state,” demanding an immediate halt to the military campaign and a return to diplomacy.

In a statement posted to Telegram, the ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme while pursuing regime change.

It warned the attacks risked triggering a “humanitarian, economic and possibly radiological catastrophe” in the region and accused the US and Israel of “plunging the Middle East into an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”