This photo taken on April 4, 2026 shows a building destroyed in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike at the Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua/Shadati)

MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday called for an immediate cessation of strikes on Iranian civilian and energy infrastructure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

During a telephone conversation, the two ministers noted the importance of halting "reckless and illegal attacks" on civilian, industrial and energy facilities, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

They warned that such actions pose a threat to the plant workers' lives and health and could lead to a radioactive disaster affecting the broader region.

Lavrov expressed hope that efforts by certain countries to de-escalate tensions around Iran would succeed, adding that the United States' abandoning the language of ultimatums and returning to negotiations would be instrumental.