MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Moscow expresses indignation and deep regret about the deaths of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several members of his family and senior Iranian officials in the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
"Russia firmly and consistently condemns the practice of political assassinations and the targeting of leaders of sovereign states, which runs counter to the basic principles of civilized interstate relations and grossly violates international law," the ministry said in a statement.
As a result of ongoing hostilities, the number of civilian casualties continues to rise and serious damage is being inflicted on civilian infrastructure, the statement said.
Russia calls for immediate de-escalation, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to the political and diplomatic process in order to resolve existing problems on the basis of the UN Charter and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, it said.
"The legitimate interests of all Gulf states must be duly taken into account," it added. ■