MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. The Russian foreign ministry has warned that the rapidly worsening situation in the Middle East risks spiralling completely out of control. "The situation that has arisen as a result of Washington and Tel Aviv’s illegal and irresponsible actions is rapidly deteriorating and threatens to finally spiral out of all control," it said in a statement. According to the ministry, the Iran war is escalating every day "The intensity and destructiveness of attacks are growing. These attacks target not only military facilities, but also civilian infrastructure, often including nuclear sites under the IAEA's safeguards," it stated. The ministry warned that attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant are fraught with the risk of a radioactive disaster that could be worse than the Chernobyl. "Of particular concern are numerous reckless attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which have resulted in human casualties. The shadow of a radiological catastrophe more devastating than the Chernobyl disaster looms over the Gulf region and adjacent parts of Eurasia," it said. "The armed confrontation has already claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people, women and children, has brought suffering to civilians. Schools, hospitals, and world heritage sites are being ruined. Diplomatic and consular missions are coming under attacks, which runs counter the foundations of international relations and constitutes a flagrant violation of the provisions of the relevant Vienna conventions," the ministry pointed out. Moreover, colossal damage has been done to the global energy system and food security, the ministry noted. "Vital logistics routes, which were operating smoothly before the criminal US-Israeli reckless venture, are now blocked. The markets are in disarray, with many countries being forced to impose fuel rationing, and experts are making ominous predictions about an economic slump and rampant inflation in vulnerable economies," it added. Chances for talks In view of the escalation of the situation, Russia strongly calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities. "We welcome the efforts of a number of countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, and China, to de-escalate tensions around Iran and engage in dialogue on the lasting and sustainable normalization of the situation in the Middle East. We took note of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ statement of April 2 where he called on the United States and Israel to stop this war that is causing enormous human suffering and entailing terrifying economic consequences, and on Iran to stop attacks on its neighbors in response to the aggression," the ministry said. Moscow, the ministry says, believes that chances for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict still exist. "The sides need to abandon the language of threats, inadmissible insults and ultimatums, to refrain from actions that can drive the entire region into irreversible chaos," it noted. "It is of paramount importance not to derail the existing chances for talks to find a political and diplomatic solution. We call for taking into account this fact in the work of the UN Security Council," the ministry emphasized. ""Responsible members of the world community must do all they can not to let the Middle East slide into an abyss of an all-consuming war that would have long-term tragic consequences for the whole of the world. Russia jointly with its international partners is ready to do everything it can.".
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.