Iran has once again reiterated support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, saying the crisis is rooted in NATO's provocations.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a tweet on Thursday however that Tehran doesn't believe that “resorting to war is a solution”.

He also stressed the need for an “imperative to establish ceasefire and to find a political and democratic resolution”.

Also on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Tehran is monitoring Ukraine developments with deep concern, noting that “US-led provocations” have created a situation which is taking Eurasia toward an all-out crisis.

Khatibzadeh said Iran urges both sides to stop armed conflict and declare ceasefire to start talks.

He also urged all Iranian citizens living in Ukraine to stay away from dangerous areas, adding that the Foreign Ministry is trying to obtain necessary permissions for one or more special flights to evacuate Iranians from some parts of Ukraine.

Iran’s embassy in Kiev issued a statement on Wednesday, calling on Iranian nationals livening in Ukraine, especially students, to leave the country "temporarily".

Early on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in the eastern Ukraine regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, claiming that he had ordered the operation after the leaders of the self-proclaimed republics of asked the Kremlin for military assistance.