Russia has sent a navy frigate, Marshal Shaposhnikov, armed with Kinzhal supersonic missiles into the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal just hours after Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones.
The Kremlin confirmed the ship’s presence in the area, adding that it will continue performing its assigned tasks under the expedition plan.
This comes as Iran attacks Israel with over 200 drones and missiles overnight. Tehran’s attack came after Israel killed two Iranian military commanders with a strike on the country’s consulate in Damascus, Syria.
Israel says it successfully took out 99 percent of the missiles that were fired by Iran with the help of its allies. Last week, Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin spokesman called for countries in the Middle East to show restraint.
Dmitry Peskov said: “Right now, it is very important for everyone to maintain restraint in order not to lead to a complete destabilization of the situation in the region, which does not exactly shine with stability and predictability.”
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed that the US has an “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s security after meeting with security officials in Washington.
He said: “We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant – they’re threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
A White House spokesperson also said: “We’ve been clear that we do not want this conflict to escalate or spread further in the region. We’ll continue to undertake diplomatic efforts to ensure that remains the case.
“We also retain a military presence in the region to deter those who seek to take advantage of the conflict.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also condemned Iran’s “reckless” attack, adding: “I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel.
