Russia's Foreign Ministry denounces Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear sites as "illegal" and a threat to global security, urging diplomacy to resolve the nuclear dispute.

Israel is reluctant to accept Russia's mediation in its war with Iran, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 17, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. "At the moment, we see reluctance — at least on Israel’s part — to resort to mediation or pursue a peaceful resolution,

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it saw that Israel did not want mediation efforts over its conflict with Iran, now in its fifth day amid what Moscow said was "galloping escalation". Israel launched its air war with a surprise attack last week that has killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran's military commanders and its leading nuclear scientists.