Israel reprimands Russian ambassador for comments on Iran

Russia’s ambassador to Israel has been summoned by Israel’s Foreign Ministry for a dressing down, following an interview in which he said it is the Jewish state’s conflict with the Palestinians and other Arab entities that is destabilizing the Middle East, not Iran.

Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov also accused Israel of being an aggressor for attacking arms shipments to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, and questioned whether tunnels found under the Israel-Lebanon border were dug by the Lebanese organization.

“The problem in the region is not Iranian activities,” Viktorov told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s a lack of understanding between countries and noncompliance with UN resolutions in the Israel-Arab and Israel-Palestinian conflict.”

The Foreign Ministry says Viktorov had been “seriously reprimanded” for his comments.

It says: “The Russian ambassador said that he intends to issue a clarification letter to the newspaper, in light of his claim that some of the quotes attributed to him are imprecise.”