Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is calling on Iran and "all parties" in the Middle East to show restraint as the U.S. continues military buildup.

Iran on Thursday held military drills with Russia amid escalating tensions with the United States, after President Trump gave the Middle Eastern country a 10-day timeline for the U.S. and Iran to strike a deal over the latter’s nuclear program.

Russia has a strategic partnership ​treaty with Iran, although it does not include ⁠a mutual ⁠defence clause. A ⁠Russian ​naval corvette conducted manoeuvres with the Iranian navy in the ​Gulf of ⁠Oman this week, according to Russia's Defence Ministry.

NORAD launched F-16s and F-35s to intercept Russian Tu-95s and Su-35s in Alaska's air defense zone Thursday during routine military patrol operations.

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in ⁠an ⁠interview made public on Wednesday, ⁠said that any new U.S. strike on Iran would have ​serious consequences and called for restraint to find a solution to enable Iran to pursue ‌a peaceful nuclear programme.

The Iranian naval drill and the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea underscore the tensions between the nations.

Iran has been joined by Russia and China in deploying naval vessels for a joint live-fire exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, heightening regional tensions even as negotiators from Washington and Tehran met for diplomatic talks aimed at averting a military confrontation.

US-Iran tensions LIVE: US President Donald Trump launched a fresh threat on Tehran on Wednesday after mediatory talks between the two nations in Geneva. Trump said Iran would attract ‘bad things’ if it fails to strike a deal with Washington.