MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi emphasized the need to halt the Israeli-Iranian conflict as soon as possible and underscored the importance of a diplomatic solution, the Russian Foreign Minister said in a statement.
"The top diplomats emphasized the importance of ceasing the hostilities as soon as possible, and the need to prevent the conflict from expanding to new territories, as it may lead to tragic consequences for the entire region," the ministry said.
The two ministers underscored the importance of "continuing joint efforts to take the confrontation to the diplomatic dimension and to create optimal conditions for a sustainable negotiation process."
Lavrov expressed his gratitude for Oman's mediation efforts, including those related to Iran's nuclear program.
The conversation focused on the "unprecedented escalation of tensions in the Middle East, caused by Israel's large-scale military operation against Iran, carried out in breach of the UN Charter and international norms."
The conversation was initiated by the Omani side.
Overnight into June 13, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran's nuclear program. Iran responded in less than 24 hours. In the following days, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged strikes again. Both parties reported casualties and damage, and admitted that a number of facilities had been hit, but said the damage was limited.