A full—scale war may break out in the Middle East - Lavrov

A full-scale war could break out in the Middle East. This statement was made at a press conference held at the end of the ministerial meeting within the framework of the ninth strategic dialogue between Russia and The Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, TASS reports.

According to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the situation in the Middle East is on the verge of a large-scale conflict. At the same time, he noted that the memorandum signed between the United States and Iran in Islamabad.

"We believe that the memorandum still contains everything necessary to move the situation from the current stage, when it is teetering on the verge of resuming a full-format war, into a political and diplomatic negotiating channel. It is necessary to eliminate the root causes of what is happening in The Strait of Hormuz and around it, including, of course, the implementation of the agreements that we all welcomed, which were reached between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran within the framework of the so—called Islamabad Memorandum," Lavrov said.

As of mid-October 2026, the situation in the Middle East remains extremely tense and is characterized by several interconnected hotbeds of escalation. The key factors of instability are the sharp aggravation of the conflict between the Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia, the crisis in The Strait of Hormuz, as well as the continuing threat of a military clash around Iran.