Russia on Monday urged a shift toward diplomacy to resolve the escalating conflict in the Middle East, following a US ultimatum demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believes the situation should move away from military confrontation.

“We believe that the situation should have transitioned to a political and diplomatic settlement,” Peskov told journalists at a briefing.

Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the strategic waterway within 48 hours, a deadline set to expire late Monday.

The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass — has remained effectively closed since the war began on February 28, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Peskov warned that the situation in the region has reached a critical level.

“This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to defusing the catastrophically tense situation that has now developed in the region,” he said.

Russia also expressed concern over the safety of nuclear facilities, particularly Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, which Moscow helped construct.

“Strikes on nuclear facilities are potentially extremely dangerous and fraught with, perhaps even irreversible, consequences,” Peskov said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that a structure near the Bushehr site had been struck, prompting calls from agency chief Rafael Grossi for restraint to avoid a nuclear accident.
Peskov said Russia remains in “constant dialogue” with the IAEA regarding the situation at the plant.

Separately, the Kremlin dismissed a report that Russia had offered to halt intelligence sharing with Iran in exchange for the United States ending support for Ukraine.

“This report… belongs to the category of untruthful, or rather, false,” Peskov said.