MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman affirmed that it is following up, with great concern, the developments of the military escalation in the region and its serious repercussions.
Oman called for self-restraint to spare the region and its peoples the risks of war. Oman stressed its position calling for adherence to international laws. It underlined the necessity of the UN Security Council’s assuming its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, Oman reiterated the necessity of imposing an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. It also stressed the need to open up humanitarian corridors to deliver relief aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip without obstacles.
Meanwhile, Russia said on Sunday it was extremely concerned by Iranian strikes on Israel and called on all parties to exercise restraint, but said tensions would remain high until the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was resolved.
Iran struck Israel to avenge a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes.
"We express our extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the region," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on the Iranian attacks. "We call on all parties involved to exercise restraint."
SELF DEFENCE
Russia noted that Tehran had said the attack was made within the right to self defence after Israel's strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus that Moscow condemned. Russia did not condemn the Iranian strikes on Israel.
Russia, which has close ties to Iran, said that the West had blocked attempts in the United Nations Security Council to respond to the Israeli strike on the embassy compound.
"We have repeatedly warned that the numerous unresolved crises in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, which are often fuelled by irresponsible provocative actions, will lead to an increase in tension," the ministry said.
President Vladimir Putin's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian by telephone on Sunday.
"An further escalation of the situation in the region and dangerous new provocative actions may lead to an increase in tension," the Russian foreign ministry said in a readout of the call.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "the serious escalation".
"I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation," he added, calling on parties to "avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East".
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called on Iran to "immediately cease" attacks, saying in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that "all actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region".
Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc "condemns in the strongest terms" the attack, calling it "an unprecedented escalation and a threat to regional security."
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