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After Pummelling Ukrainian Cities, Russia Condemns Israeli Strikes on Iran, Forgetting “to Look in the Mirror”
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian territory, calling them an “unprovoked military attack” on a sovereign UN member and warning of a dangerous escalation in the Middle East, Russian state media Ria.Novosti reported on June 13.
The statement, however, drew criticism and accusations of hypocrisy, given Russia’s own ongoing missile and drone attacks against sleeping civilians in Ukraine.
“We express our extreme concern over the dangerous escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a post following Israel’s limited strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. “We strongly condemn the use of force by Israel in violation of the UN Charter and international law.”
According to Moscow, the Israeli strikes—which targeted sites linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons program—were unacceptable.
“Unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign UN member, its citizens, peaceful sleeping cities, and nuclear energy infrastructure are categorically unacceptable,” the statement said.
“The international community cannot afford to remain indifferent to such atrocities, which destroy peace and undermine regional and global security.”
Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mocked Russia’s sudden concern for international law and civilian safety. “This awkward moment when Russia’s Foreign Ministry made a statement about the Middle East but forgot to look in the mirror,” he wrote on X.
This awkward moment when Russia’s Foreign Ministry made a statement about the Middle East but forgot to look at the mirror. pic.twitter.com/atskFNqzES
— Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) June 13, 2025
The Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the timing of the Israeli action, noting it occurred “amid an IAEA Board of Governors session and on the eve of a new round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States.”
It claimed these attacks had “set back and undermined hard-won multilateral efforts to de-escalate tensions and address concerns about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.”
Moscow further accused Israeli leadership of deliberately choosing “to escalate tensions and raise the stakes,” warning that “the Israeli leadership bears full responsibility for all consequences of this provocation.”
The statement concluded by accusing Western nations of fueling “anti-Iranian hysteria” in the IAEA and pushing a “short-sighted resolution” that lacked consensus. “We firmly believe that no matter what justification is given by those who planned, prepared, and executed the strike on Iran, the issue of Iran’s nuclear program has no military solution,” the Russian MFA said, calling instead for “a peaceful, political, and diplomatic resolution.”
In recent weeks, Russian missiles and drones have repeatedly struck Ukrainian cities at night, killing civilians and targeting critical infrastructure, including power stations and hospitals—actions that Kyiv and its allies have denounced as war crimes.
