Lavrov: The US needs to end the war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in the capital, Moscow. The ministers held a press conference following their meeting, where they addressed the crisis in the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized US President Donald Trump's statement that the Strait of Hormuz would resume operations after the ongoing conflict ends, saying, "They do not hide their contacts with the Iranians. However, they say this is not a negotiation but a 'search for a position.'

Still, it is a process. President Trump said the other day that shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would return to normal as soon as the fighting ends. In other words, he needs to not only demand this from Iran but actually end the war."

"Bahrain's draft will increase Tehran's anger"

Criticizing the draft proposal prepared by Bahrain to be submitted to the United Nations (UN) regarding the security of the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov said, "The fact that Tehran is not mentioned as the party being attacked in the middle of a process that the US directly describes as 'negotiation,' and the pressure from the US to accept this draft, will increase the anger of the Tehran administration. This means that someone wants to undermine the hopes for negotiation," he said.

"We agree that there is no alternative to a two-state solution for the Palestinian issue"

Touching upon the Palestinian issue, Lavrov emphasized that the only solution in Palestine is a two-state solution, stating, "We emphasized the necessity of making the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, achieved in October 2025 thanks to Egypt's strong mediation efforts, sustainable. We are mutually concerned about the developing situation in the West Bank. Israel is pursuing a policy of strengthening administrative and legal control by constantly building 'settlements' there. We agree that there is no alternative to a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue that is based on the existing and ongoing framework of international law and centers on the two-state solution formula."

News Source: 12punto