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Diplomat slams military action in Persian Gulf as unacceptable

Russia appeals against military action in the Persian Gulf amid tensions mounting there

© AP Photo/Fay Abuelgasim

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russia calls on all countries to exercise restraint, stressing that military action in the Persian Gulf is unacceptable, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told reporters on Wednesday.

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"We think that all countries must exercise restraint. In any case, military action must be excluded," he noted, adding that Moscow is concerned about mounting tensions in the Persian Gulf.

On June 13, two oil tankers caught fire following an alleged attack in the Gulf of Oman. The crew members of Japan’s Kokuka Courageous tanker were rescued by the USS Bainbridge destroyer, while Iranian border guards took the crew of the Norway’s Front Altair tanker, which included Russian nationals, to the port of Jask. The US, supported by the UK and Saudi Arabia, blamed the incident on Iran that denied all accusations.

On June 20, the Iranian military downed a US intelligence drone. In response, according to US President Donald Trump, the US prepared a military operation, which provided for inflicting strikes on three targets in Iran. According to the US leader, 10 minutes before the start of this operation, he ordered to cancel it, finding it "not... proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone."

On June 24, the US administration introduced unilateral sanctions against the Iranian leadership.

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