IRNA – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action has caused escalation in the region.

He made the remarks after a meeting with French counterpart Edouard Philippe with the agenda of de-escalation between Iran and the US.

Speaking in a joint press conference with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, he said Russia will spare no efforts to prevent an explosion in the Middle East.

He emphasized the importance of holding talks to solve issues related to Iran.

The Russian PM underlined preserving contacts, cooperation and exchanging views to avoid escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the US of war against Iran, saying “Should the United States try to use force against Iran, a catastrophe will follow, because the effects of a military solution are very hard to gauge.”

"The use of US military force against Iran would be a catastrophe at least for the region, because it would trigger violence and, possibly, an increase in the number of refugees from the region," Putin said, Moscow-based TASS news agency reported.

"For those who might make such attempts, the consequences would be very sad, too, because it is very hard to foresee what the use of military force might entail."

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday criticized the US and Israeli approach toward Iran, saying the US non-constructive attempts to isolate Tehran will not work.

He said that focusing on a country, attempts to form coalition against a country, to isolate it and accusing it of unfounded charges are non-constructive.

Russia favors negotiations between Arab countries and Iran on safeguarding the Persian Gulf.