Has World War III begun?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the statement at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, assessing that the dramatic events in Latin America and the Middle East directly stem from attempts by Western minority states to maintain the remnants of their dominance on the international stage through the use of brute force, disregarding all previously signed and ratified obligations under international law, Sputnik reported.

He said that the rapid expansion of conflict zones around the world, involving new countries and entire regions, is a cause for serious concern.

According to him, the intense military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran threatens to destabilize global trade and global energy security.

“Since the end of February, the United States and Israel have been carrying out intense military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The situation threatens to destabilize not only the Persian Gulf region, which has already happened, and not only the entire Middle East, which is already underway, but also global trade, global energy security, as well as international transport and business communications,” Lavrov said.

He also pointed out that the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responding inadequately to threats to nuclear safety posed by the U.S.-Israeli actions against Iran.

“The highest levels of Iranian leadership and civilian infrastructure, including nuclear energy facilities under IAEA safeguards, have been declared legitimate targets,” Lavrov emphasized.

He added that Russia is not indifferent to what is happening between Iran and its neighbors and is ready to join mediation efforts regarding Iran, while also communicating its assessments to Tehran.

“We are currently discussing all these issues and, of course, communicating our assessments and the evolution of our positions to both the Iranians and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Lavrov said.

According to the Russian foreign minister, Moscow is convinced that “this very path—the path of negotiations, the path of unity, and reaching an agreement on a balance of interests—is in the interest” of the Middle East as a key global region, rather than attempts to force any country, especially Iran, to follow dictates from abroad.

Lavrov also assessed that it is wrong for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to be pushed into the background, despite UN decisions calling for its settlement.

As he emphasized, Russia, together with its partners in the Middle East, will strive for a just resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the decisions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly.

In addition, the minister noted that Russia is concerned about the escalation surrounding Cuba, stands in solidarity with its leadership, and will continue to provide assistance and support to Havana.

“The escalation around Cuba, which is facing increasing external pressure, is a source of serious concern. We reaffirm our solidarity with our Cuban friends in their right to a sovereign path of development. We will continue to provide assistance and support, including material and humanitarian aid,” the diplomat emphasized.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Lavrov noted that Western elites continue to “invest in confrontation” with Russia.

“The Western minority, or rather the elites of Western countries, continue to invest both political and economic capital they have left in confrontation with our country, using for this purpose the military infrastructure and human resources of the Kyiv neo-Nazi regime,” Lavrov stressed.

The Russian minister added that the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy remain unchanged and are focused on strengthening national security.

“They are aimed at ensuring national security, creating favorable external conditions for the country’s internal development, and improving the quality of life of our citizens,” he concluded.

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