Russia Accuses US Of Taking Entire Middle East Region 'Hostage'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday accused the US of "taking hostage" the entire Middle East region, where tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel besides the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Responding to a question by Anadolu at a news conference in Moscow, Zakharova said the US generally "uses countries and nations in its mercantile" interests, and the problem of the US military presence in the Middle East is "broader, deeper, and even scarier."

"In this case, I think the problem is even broader, deeper, and even scarier. American politicians, the so-called 'deep state' are not just using the situation in the region to their advantage, they have literally taken the countries and the region as a whole hostage to their policies, both domestic and foreign. Unfortunately, this has led to a new monstrous aggravation of the situation in the region," she said.

Russia's assessments of the US policy in the Middle East remain unchanged, she noted.

"We believe that the current situation has largely become a consequence of their long-term policy of creating dividing lines in the region and destroying the international legal framework," she emphasized.

The US actions have been aimed at undermining the international mechanisms created to implement the UN decisions as well as mediator formats, Zakharova elaborated.

"This approach largely determines Washington's line in Palestinian affairs. The unprecedented crisis in the Gaza Strip was the result of stagnation in the settlement process due to the US attempts to single-handedly promote its vision of Arab-Israeli normalization and development of the situation in the region as a whole," she said.

The solution of the Palestinian problem was consciously delayed, she said.

Generally, the buildup of a foreign military presence in the zone of armed conflict, in particular the strengthening of the American group in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, poses a threat of further escalation, she stressed.

Armenia plans to replace Russians with Westerners

Russia expects Armenia's explanation about media reports claiming the Caucasian nation sealed some "military-political agreements" with the EU and US, Zakharova said.

"We expect a clear reaction from the Armenian authorities to the information that has appeared. And ideally, its disproof," she stressed.

Zakharova emphasized that Moscow would not be taken aback if there were intentions to substitute the Russian military base and border guards in Armenia with troops from the EU, NATO, and the US.

The West's plans may also include further expansion of "Western undermining efforts" along the Armenian border against Azerbaijan and Iran, initiatives to reshape critical infrastructure and the energy system in Armenia, including the dismantling of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, she said.

According to the spokeswoman, the West has been using Armenia as a tool for starting "a new big fire" in the region.

"Apparently, Washington and Brussels set a goal of breaking all ties between Armenia and Russia both in security and economy, damaging regional security and economic cooperation mechanisms," she said. -