MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the consequences of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are difficult to predict.

Speaking at a meeting with business leaders in Moscow, Putin said that even parties directly involved in the conflicts are unable to make reliable forecasts, adding that it is "even more difficult" for Russia to assess future developments.

Russia has been closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and, for now, it is developing along the worst-case scenario, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

The consequences of the Middle East conflict for the global economy are difficult to calculate, but they are unlikely to be positive, Peskov said.

He also said that Moscow hopes the Middle East situation transitions to a peaceful course in the very near future. "We sincerely hope that the information indicating that negotiations are underway is true, because any actions that can in any way help establish peace deserve full support," he said.

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Tensions in the region have escalated since Feb 28, when Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then supreme leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians.

Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and US bases and assets in the Middle East, and exercising tight control over the Strait of Hormuz, not allowing the safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.

On Thursday, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said that US-Iran "indirect talks" are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, hostilities continued in the region. The Israeli military said early Thursday that it had completed a "wide-scale wave of strikes" in Isfahan, a city in central Iran, and elsewhere in the country. Hours later, Iran launched multiple missile attacks on Israel.