Russia accuses US and Israel of trying to drag Arab countries into a wider Middle East conflict

Russia on Thursday accused the United States and Israel of trying to drag Arab countries into a wider Middle East conflict by provoking Iran into striking targets across the region and said there was no sign Washington and Tel Aviv would let up.

Arab states in the Gulf, all close U.S. allies - some of which also have close ties with Russia - have come under Iranian drone and missile attacks since the United States and Israel launched their air strikes on Iran on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to leaders of four Arab Gulf states on Monday, offering to use Moscow's ties to Iran to relay concerns about Tehran's strikes on oil infrastructure across the region.

Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement on Thursday accused the U.S. and Israel of deliberately trying to draw Arab Gulf states into a wider conflagration.

"They deliberately provoked Iran into retaliatory strikes against targets in some Arab countries, which led to human and material losses, which the Russian side deeply regrets," the ministry said.

"In doing so, they (Washington and Tel Aviv) are trying to drag the Arabs into a war for someone else's interests".