Tehran invites Moscow to help rebuild in wake of Israeli-US airstrikes
Iranian authorities believe Russia could help rebuild infrastructure damaged by recent Israeli and US airstrikes, Tehran’s ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said on Thursday.
He cited a strategic partnership agreement between the two nations signed in January. The treaty outlines economic cooperation and the joint fight against terrorism, while opposing what both nations describe as unilateral coercive measures and breaches of international law.
”Russia can play its role in restoring damaged civilian infrastructure, if necessary, as well as being a mediator to help reduce tensions,” Jalali told Russian media.
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran last month, citing concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program. The claim was dismissed by both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and US intelligence. However, Washington later followed up with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities before pushing both sides to agree to a ceasefire.
The attacks caused heavy damage to civilian infrastructure and claimed hundreds of lives, according to the UN. The latest death toll, provided by Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani on Thursday, stands at 1,100 people. Tehran’s retaliatory strikes resulted in 28 deaths in Israel, according to local health authorities and media outlets.
During the 12-day war, several countries, including Russia, began evacuating their citizens from Iran. Among those at risk were hundreds of specialists working at Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, located near the port city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf.
While the city was reportedly targeted during the airstrikes, the nuclear facility itself remained unharmed. Russia played a central role in building and commissioning the plant, supplying it with nuclear fuel, and retrieving the spent material to minimize proliferation risks.
Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. Following the airstrikes, it suspended cooperation with the international nuclear watchdog IAEA and expelled its inspectors.
Russia condemned the attacks, accusing Israel and the US of committing a gross violation of international law, and offered to mediate. Along with China, it also accused the two countries of undermining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which guarantees the right of signatories to pursue civilian nuclear energy.
The UN, various human rights organizations, and legal experts have also condemned the Israeli and US attacks on Iran.
