According to an Anadolu English report of Monday 23 of March 2026, Russia has cautioned that any United States ground operation in Iran would deepen tensions and prolong instability across the Middle East, while also expressing skepticism that Washington would pursue such a move.
Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, delivered the warning during a plenary session of the international conference “Russia and India: Towards a New Agenda for Bilateral Relations” held in Moscow. He said the likelihood of a US ground intervention appeared limited but warned of serious consequences if it were to happen.
“It seems that if such plans were to be implemented, though the prospects still do not look very convincing, if that were to happen, of course, it would lead to a further exacerbation of the situation, cause further escalation, and be unlikely to bring the end of this conflict any closer,” he said.
Addressing Iran’s actions, Rudenko said Moscow does not support any move to block the Strait of Hormuz, though it considers Tehran’s conduct within the context of self-defence.
“Iran, like other countries, also has the right to self-defence as it sees fit. That does not mean we approve of everything that is happening there,” he said.
He added: “We call for a resolution to this entire conflict, first and foremost for the cessation of the aggression by the Americans and Israelis against Iran. Because everything happening in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct consequence of this illegal action.”
Rudenko also said Russia would press the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take a firm position against attacks on Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
“We will demand a clearer response from the IAEA to the incident so that such things do not happen again, because, God forbid, something happens, it would threaten a huge disaster for the entire Middle East region,” he said.
On relations with Washington, Rudenko said Moscow’s stance remains unchanged.
“We never had any illusions about the US. So we haven’t changed anything. We have a very principled line regarding states — the main thing is that these countries comply with the international principles and norms they have signed up to. Unfortunately, in this particular case, the US has deviated from that,” he remarked….See More
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