TEHRAN – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has cautioned that any Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be viewed as a "serious provocation."

Speaking at a press conference in Vientiane, Laos, on Friday, Lavrov stressed that such an action could escalate tensions in the region. 

Lavrov noted that, despite ongoing tensions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence that Iran’s nuclear program is being militarized. “We base our stance on facts. In every country, you’ll find politicians and parliamentarians who may express views that don’t necessarily align with their government's actual policies. We have seen this pattern before,” Lavrov stated.

He went on to say that if any threats to strike Iran's civilian nuclear facilities were carried out, it would be seen as a severe provocation by the international community.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions following an October 1 incident, where Iran launched up to 200 ballistic missiles in response to the Israeli assassination of key figures, including Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) general, Abbas Nilforooshan. 

Reports indicate that Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles aimed at various military and intelligence installations throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

In response, Israel has threatened retaliation, but Iranian officials have made it clear that any further Israeli action will be met with a strong, proportionate, and calculated response from Tehran.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel launched the war on Gaza after the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity on October 7, 2023. The operation came in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 97,720 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.