MOSCOW, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The situation in the Strait of Hormuz will stabilize only after the conflict in the Middle East ends, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on Monday.
"We called for an end to this entire conflict, first and foremost, the aggression by the Americans and Israelis against Iran," Rudenko told the media on the sidelines of the forum "Russia and India: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda."
"What is happening in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct consequence of this illegal act. Once the war is stopped, I believe the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will normalize."
Commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks regarding plans to strike Iran's energy facilities, Rudenko said: "I expect that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant will not be included in these target lists, as the consequences would simply be catastrophic for everyone."
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is an operating facility that houses thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. A direct hit to the plant could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment.
On Saturday, Trump stated that the United States would destroy several Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully opened to maritime navigation within 48 hours.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said the United States would hold off on attacking Iran's energy assets following "productive" talks with Tehran.
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28. The two countries carried out two airstrikes on the Natanz nuclear facilities on March 1, struck a building within the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant complex on March 17, and launched another strike on the Natanz uranium enrichment facility on March 21. ■