"The military standoff needs to stop in order to stabilize the situation," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabko said.

Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed 15 people and injured 156 overnight as Vladimir Putin’s forces drastically stepped up their long-range drone strikes on the country using Iranian-made

When Israel first started bombing Iran, many in Russia saw it as an opportunity, a means of drawing support and attention away from Ukraine.

Tehran will look to region's proxies and other authoritarian 'Crink' states for backing in its war with Israel

Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.

Rising tensions in the Middle East will accelerate natural gas negotiations between Russia and China, with a decision likely this year, the head of a think-tank that advises the Russian government on China told Reuters.

The Kremlin responded Monday to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on possible Iranian regime change, issuing a condemnation of the "actions" that have led to escalated tensions between the two Middle Eastern nations.

Russia's military axis with authoritarian states such as China, North Korea and Iran has now failed, according to a study on global arms proliferation by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (translated by The Moscow Times ).