MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russian is ready to help in resolving the ongoing Middle East conflict by resorting to peaceful efforts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a telephone call with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

"Top diplomats of Russia and Egypt discussed issues regarding the unprecedented escalation of the military and political situation in the Persian Gulf that followed an aggression on behalf of the United States and Israel against Iran," the statement reads.

"Both diplomats urged an immediate halt to all hostilities in the region as well as to to intensify collective political and diplomatic efforts that are aimed at easing regional tensions," the statement noted.

The statement added that Lavrov confirmed "Russia's readiness to provide all possible assistance in resolving the existing contradictions in the Middle East by peaceful means, taking into account interests of all regional countries, without any double standards whatsoever."

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February·28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.