The conflict between Iran and Israel has entered its ninth day, with the intensity of attacks increasing dramatically. The war, which began on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise strike, has escalated into a full-scale exchange of missile and drone attacks.

Russia is telling the United States not to strike Iran because it would radically destabilise the Middle East, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, and Moscow said Israeli strikes risked triggering a nuclear catastrophe.