MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. European countries seek an escalation of tensions in the Middle East, because stability in the region is not in their interest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with TASS on 2025 results.

"It is quite sad but not surprising for anyone that some members of the international community, primarily the Europeans, are simply adding fuel to the fire, as the saying goes. They have been persisting with their attempts to create new dividing lines in the Middle East by proceeding from the premise that they would not benefit from countries within this region forging solid neighbourly ties," the top diplomat said.

Lavrov noted that in 2025, "we witnessed unprecedented events with Israel carrying out a direct act of aggression against Iran together with the United States, which targeted facilities related to the Iranian nuclear programme with missile and bomb strikes despite the fact that these facilities benefit from IAEA’s guarantees."

"Russia has firmly condemned these actions. They are completely at odds with international standards and universally recognised moral imperatives. The fact that Israeli officials have been saying that they are ready to use force against Tehran in the future too is a matter of grave concern," the Russian foreign minister emphasized.