Top Russian security official calls for preventing further confrontation around Iran

BISHKEK, May 14. /TASS/. Every effort must be made to prevent the armed confrontation around Iran from recurring, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said at the 21st meeting of Security Council Secretaries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States. He pointed out that the US-Israeli aggression against Iran was "the latest in a long line of geopolitical adventures by the West," which had put regional and international security at risk. "It's crucial to prevent another round of armed confrontation and pave the way for building a new regional security architecture," Shoigu noted. The Russian Security Council secretary emphasized that the aggression against Iran "wiped out many years of efforts to resolve the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program and undermined the process of normalizing relations between the Iranians and their Arab neighbors." In this regard, Shoigu reiterated that from the first days of the conflict, Russia "called for an immediate end to hostilities and a peaceful solution." "This is why we welcomed a ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan," he specified. "We are ready to fully contribute to the process, particularly with regard to the comprehensive Concept of Collective Security in the Persian Gulf that we initiated," the official added. In addition, Shoigu expressed confidence that the SCO "should promptly react to the crises that directly affect our interests.".