BEIRUT, April 12. /TASS/. The consequences of Israel's aggressive attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus may affect Lebanon, where the situation remains turbulent due to the ongoing strikes near the Lebanese-Israeli border, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov told TASS.
"It is hard to predict how the situation will develop, but it is absolutely clear that Israel's provocative forceful action will further destabilize the entire Middle East region," the official said. "Therefore, all parties concerned should be urged to exercise restraint and soberly assess their actions in order to avoid a scenario of uncontrolled confrontation, as there can be no winners here."
According to the diplomat, "despite the tension, the situation in Lebanon is acceptable." "The consular section of the embassy is in touch with many Russian citizens living in the country, we maintain close contact with them through our compatriots," Rudakov said. "I don't think we should panic prematurely. Our nationals are well-educated, decent people. Many of them have lived in the local turbulent realities for several decades and know how to deal with them very well," he added.
Referring to the Russian Foreign Ministry's recommendation to refrain from traveling to a number of countries in the region, including Lebanon, due to the sharp escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the diplomat noted that this warning has been in force since last October. According to him, "it is really not the best time to travel to Lebanon."
"As for evacuating Russian citizens, it is premature to talk about that now," Rudakov said. "The embassy certainly is aware of everything and has a plan of action. As I have already said, we are in touch with Russian citizens. However, we hold out hope that the worst-case scenario will still be avoided," he added.