MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Prospects for ending the large-scale armed conflict in the Middle East look uncertain now, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
"Our meeting is being held against the background of a serious escalation of the military and political situation in the world stemming from the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against Iran," he noted.
"This attack has struck not only the Islamic Republic but also the entire system of regional and international security," he stated. "Years-long efforts to settle the situation around the Iranian nuclear program have been reduced to zero. As of today, no prospects for ending the large-scale armed conflict in the region are visible. There are no signs that Washington and Tel Aviv intend to end their military venture. On the contrary, we hear belligerent statements about their readiness to continue hostilities until they reach their goals. But no one, including themselves, can say what they are."
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.