The ongoing conflict in West Asia could ultimately result in Israel ceasing to exist as a state, Russian Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov, deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Military-Political
Department and commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, has said, according to news agency ANI.
Speaking to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Alaudinov said the conflict in the Middle East was likely to escalate further.
He claimed that Israel was seeking to widen the confrontation by drawing the United States and the entire NATO bloc into the conflict.
“We must realise that the war in the Middle East will only escalate,” Alaudinov said.
He further alleged that Israel’s objective was to expand the conflict as much as possible and involve both Washington and NATO in the confrontation.
According to the Russian military official, such an approach could ultimately backfire on Israel.
“I believe that is precisely Israel’s objective to ramp up the conflict as much as possible and drag both the US and the entire NATO bloc into it. They are good at this. Ultimately, they will overestimate their strength and cease to exist as a state,” Alaudinov said.
The remarks come amid continuing tensions and military hostilities across West Asia, with the confrontation between the United States and Iran cited as one of the primary ongoing conflicts.
Trump Asks Team To Hold Off Iran Talks
Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera as cited in the ANI report, US President Donald Trump has asked his negotiating team to hold off talks with Iran until Tehran is “ready to make a deal”.
An official told Al Jazeera that the United States had been engaged in “positive talks” with Iran, but Trump had “decided to wait” before proceeding further.
The official also said there was “no conflict” within the US administration’s position on diplomatic engagement with Tehran.
Trump had earlier contradicted Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the naval blockade remained “in full force and effect” while the strategic waterway was “open and operating”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said there were no talks or discussions currently taking place with Tehran.
He also said naval mines had been removed or detonated.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating,” Trump said.
Iran Speaker Hits Out At US Officials
From the Iranian side, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticised senior US officials over Washington’s approach to negotiations with Tehran.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf targeted US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, alleging that Washington believed increasing economic or military pressure on Iran would force Tehran to accept concessions beyond the existing agreement.
“Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement. Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made,” Ghalibaf said.
He also urged the US leadership to stop relying on its officials to resolve the situation and instead take responsibility for the problems it had created.
The statements come against the backdrop of continuing military hostilities and heightened tensions across West Asia, with the US-Iran confrontation remaining a key part of the ongoing regional crisis.
