War on Iran: Russia says US suffered ‘crushing defeat’
Russia had stated the necessity of immediately stopping the “aggression” against Iran and commence a “real political and diplomatic settlement,”
Russia on Wednesday said that the approach of a “one-track, aggressive, unprovoked attack” against Iran suffered a “crushing defeat” after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
“All the statements that were made about ... being more aggressive, being more offensive, writing more on social media and ‘victory’ — it's just around the corner. Once again, this position has suffered a crushing defeat. So has the approach of such a one-track, aggressive, unprovoked attack,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik Radio in an interview.
Zakharova further said Russia has stated the necessity of immediately stopping the “aggression” against Iran and commence a “real political and diplomatic settlement,” as well as the lack of a military solution to the situation, from the very beginning.
Trump announced Tuesday that he agreed “to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.”
Regional tensions escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Moscow, an ally of Tehran, has consistently positioned itself as a diplomatic counterweight to Washington during the conflict and had been calling for "an immediate cessation of hostilities" in the Persian Gulf as the deadline loomed.
Earlier Tuesday, along with China, Russia had vetoed a measure at the United Nations Security Council to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would have given the U.S. and Israel "carte blanche for continued aggression."
In response to the ceasefire, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “the Spanish government will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they turn up with a bucket.”
Sanchez said ceasefires were always welcome news, but added that “momentary relief must not make us forget the chaos, the destruction and the lives lost” while calling for “diplomacy, international law and PEACE” to prevail.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to abide by the terms of the ceasefire “in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region”, according to his spokesperson.
Guterres underscored “that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering”, and thanked Pakistan and other nations involved in facilitating the truce. (Agencies)