Russia condemns Israeli strikes on Iran, defends own war
The Kremlin has criticized Israel's recent airstrikes on Iran, insisting the conflict is not comparable to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
'The outbreak of the conflict, actually, and the Israeli attacks on Iran were absolutely not provoked,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS on Thursday.
By contrast, he said, the background to the 'special military operation' - as Moscow calls its invasion of Ukraine - is 'well known to everyone.'
Israel has defend its strikes on Iran with the need to stop the Tehran's nuclear weapons programme. The Israeli government sees the programme as a direct threat to its country.
Russia, meanwhile, has justified its invasion of Ukraine by citing security concerns, including NATO expansion and the alleged oppression of Russian-speaking minorities. The attack on February 24, 2022 took place without warning - just a few days earlier, the Kremlin had publicly denied having any invasion plans.
Iran is one of Russia's closest allies in the Middle East and uses Iranian-designed drones in its war on Ukraine. (DPA)
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