Russia says US should abandon ‘language of ultimatums’ on Iran

Russia expressed hope on Sunday that efforts to de-escalate the Iran conflict would bear fruit and said the US would contribute by "abandoning the language of ultimatums and returning the situation to a negotiating track."

US President Donald Trump had said in an expletive-laden social media post on Sunday that the United States will target Iran's power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

The Russian Foreign Ministry statement was issued after a conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

It said both sides "called for efforts to avoid actions, including in the UN Security Council, that could undermine the remaining chances for advancing political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis."

Russia, it said, backed efforts to de-escalate tensions "in the interests of long-term and sustainable normalization of the situation in the Middle East, which would be facilitated by the United States abandoning the language of ultimatums and returning the situation to a negotiating track." — Reuters