Russia urges restraint as US builds up military assets near Iran

Russia warned ‌against an “unprecedented escalation of tension” around Iran on Thursday and urged restraint amid a US military build-up ​in the region that a senior American official said should be complete by mid-March.

US threats to bomb ‌Iran, with the two sides far ‌apart in talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, have pushed up oil prices and a Russian corvette on Thursday joined planned Iranian naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, a vital sea route for global energy.

Iran and the United States leaned into gunboat diplomacy on Thursday as nuclear talks between the nations hung in the balance, with Tehran holding drills with Russia and the Americans bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast.

“These are planned exercises and they are agreed upon in advance,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia continues to develop relations with Iran and in doing so, we call on our Iranian friends and all parties in the region to exercise restraint and prudence” he added.

Moscow was calling for “political and diplomatic means to be given absolute priority in resolving various issues,” Peskov said.

Some countries have urged their citizens to leave Iran, citing the threat of a military conflict. “We are currently witnessing an unprecedented escalation of tension in the region, but we still hope that political and diplomatic means and negotiations will continue to prevail in the search for a settlement,” Peskov said.

Iranian and US negotiators ‌met on Tuesday and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said they had agreed on ‘guiding principles,’ but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday the two sides remained apart on some issues.

The White House warned that Iran would be “wise” to do a deal with the United States as President Donald Trump once “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,” told reporters.

Iran was to make a written proposal on how to address US concerns, the senior American official said.

'WE DON'T WANT WAR'

Speaking on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted “we do not want war” but suggested Tehran could not give in to US demands. “From the day I took office, I have believed that war must be set aside.

But if they are going to try to impose their will on us, humiliate us and demand that we bow our heads at any cost, should we accept that?”

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran unless they can come to a deal and has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the region, raising the prospect of another attack on the Islamic Republic.

The United States ​and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and some military sites last June. US Secretary of State Marco ‌Rubio will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Iran on February 28, the senior US official said.

Washington suspects Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb and wants it to entirely give up uranium enrichment, a process used to create fuel for atomic power plants but that can also provide material for a warhead.

It also wants Iran to give up long-range ballistic missiles, stop supporting groups around the Middle East and stop using force to quell internal protests.

Iran ​denies seeking a ‌nuclear bomb, saying its atomic programme is entirely peaceful, and says it refuses to discuss issues beyond the ‌atomic file, calling efforts to limit its missile arsenal a red line.

In a sign of growing concern over the increased tensions, Poland on Thursday became the latest European country to urge its citizens to leave Iran, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Poles may only have ​hours to evacuate.

“Everyone who is still in Iran must leave immediately, and under no circumstances should anyone plan to travel to that country,” he said at a press conference. He added that “the possibility of heated conflict is very real, and in a few, a dozen or several dozen hours, evacuation may no longer be an option.”

Meanwhile, Iran struggles with unrest at home following its crackdown on protests, with mourners now holding ceremonies honoring their dead 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some of the gatherings have included anti-government cries, despite threats from authorities.

Agencies