Russia tells Security Council US-Israel “stabbed Iran in the back”; demands immediate halt to aggression

Moscow / United Nations — Russia delivered a blistering condemnation of the joint American-Israeli military campaign against Iran at an emergency United Nations Security Council session on Saturday, placing full blame for the escalating crisis on Washington and Tel Aviv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the strikes “a reckless step” and “a deliberate, premeditated, and unprovoked act of armed aggression,” warning that the two countries had pushed the entire region toward a “humanitarian, economic, and potentially even radiological disaster.”  (The Times of Israel)
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia went further at the Security Council, stating: “We demand that the United States and Israel immediately cease their aggressive actions. We insist on the immediate resumption of political and diplomatic settlement efforts based on international law, mutual respect, and a balance of interests.”  (RTÉ)
In a particularly pointed accusation, Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev alleged that the United States had deliberately used its nuclear negotiations with Iran as a smokescreen for military operations — using the cover of diplomacy to prepare for war.  (CNN)
Moscow also called the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards “unacceptable,” saying full responsibility for the crisis — including “an unpredictable chain reaction and spiraling violence” — lies entirely with the United States and Israel.  (CNN)
The Russian Foreign Ministry further accused Washington and Tel Aviv of falsely inflating threats surrounding Iran’s nuclear program in order to pursue regime change, warning that the Middle East now risks descending into a cycle of “uncontrolled escalation.”  (NBC News)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the emergency session, condemned both the US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliation as violations of the UN Charter, urging all parties to pull the world “back from the brink” and warning that the alternative is a wider conflict with “grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”  (Al Jazeera)
China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong echoed Russia’s call for restraint, describing the US-Israeli strikes as “brazen” and insisting that Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity must be respected.  (Al Jazeera)
The Security Council emergency session ended without a resolution, as any binding measure faces a near-certain veto from the United States.