Russia says deployment of US air defense systems in Middle East to 'further destabilize' situation in region

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Washington's attempts "to monopolize the Middle East settlement," ignoring the true causes of the protracted conflict, have largely led to the current catastrophic consequences, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

The deployment of US air defense systems in the region will only further destabilize the situation, Zakharova said in response to a question by Anadolu at a news conference in Moscow.

"What the region needs is an early de-escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and not provocations by the US in the form of supplies, deployment of the aforementioned missile systems," she said.

Zakharova argued that "such actions are in line with the American tactics of strengthening their own security ... at someone else's expense," further destabilizing the situation in the Middle East and creating additional tension that may spill beyond the region.

"Over the past six to seven years, at all negotiations with Western countries, in which Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, took part, the same idea was constantly voiced -- without a settlement and resolution, or at least very close attention and facilitating the dialogue of the parties, the dialogue of mediators on the Palestinian-Israeli track of the Middle East settlement, the situation will degrade," she said.

Zakharova said she witnessed talks on the conflict with many sides, where Western representatives showed "complete disregard" for the topic.

"The bet was either on a forceful solution or on some financial and economic ways of protracting the situation, maybe even with noble goals, mistakenly believing that money can solve this issue," she said.

She said the decision to deploy air defense systems is "erroneous," and will lead to an even worse development in the region.

"There is an absolutely clear, understandable road, a roadmap for settlement. Difficult, complicated, painful, but leading to the solution of the issue, not its aggravation," she noted.

No air defense systems, no arms supplies, no reinforcement of any security complexes will help resolve the situation, said Zakharova.

"Today's lesson -- it must be learned. Americans have already deployed many military bases, sent many of their experts, launched many satellites in the region, nothing has worked to prevent a bloody scenario of which both Palestinians and Israelis are victims," she added.

The conflict in Gaza began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack on Oct. 7 that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.

The Palestinian resistance group said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 8,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.