Russian Foreign Ministry statement on developments in the Persian Gulf

Russian Foreign Ministry statement on developments in the Persian Gulf:

Moscow is gravely concerned about the continued armed confrontation in the Persian Gulf and the risks of further escalation. The scale of damage to energy and other critical infrastructure in Iran and neighbouring Arab states is increasing.

We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which are the result of unprovoked aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Russia, together with China, Türkiye and other like-minded partners, stands ready to facilitate a settlement of the conflict and to promote the resolution of existing differences through political and diplomatic means, with a view to achieving long-term, sustainable stabilisation in the region, taking into account the interests of all states concerned. We consistently advocate the need to create conditions for peaceful coexistence, security and good-neighbourly relations between our friendly Arab partners and Iran.

We emphasise that the first step in this direction must be the immediate abandonment by the United States and Israel of their ongoing reckless military action.

In this context, we have taken note of the considered and thoughtful article by Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, published in The Economist on March 18, 2026. The proposals set out in the article are broadly in line with our own views on the need to establish a security architecture in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf that ensures a balance of interests among all states in the region. We share the Omani Foreign Minister’s view on the importance of launching an inclusive regional dialogue aimed at reaching agreements on confidence-building and transparency measures in the field of nuclear energy, as well as on mutual security guarantees.

For several years, the Russian Federation has been promoting an initiative to develop a concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf, aimed at establishing lasting peace and fostering cooperative relations among all coastal states. We remain ready to continue making a constructive contribution to the settlement of the conflict and the resolution of existing differences in the Middle East through political and diplomatic means, including by creating conditions for joint efforts to achieve a sustainable settlement based on a balance of the legitimate interests of all countries in the region.

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