Russia and Iran tore into the growing unilateralism by the US, with Moscow billing the Washington-driven Indo-Pacific strategy as “divisive” and Tehran urging Europe to stand up to the bullying from across the Atlantic.

The criticism came at the Raisina Dialogue here on Wednesday.

In their separate interventions at this morning’s session, the two foreign ministers were one in questioning the growing preference of the western world for a “rules-based international order’’ in joint declarations, thereby edging out international law that is premised on the United Nations Charter.

Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif pulled no punches, billing the recent developments in the Gulf as the result of arrogance mixed with ignorance.

“When they assassinated a revered general (of Iran) in Iraq, violating Iraqi sovereignty, they thought people would be dancing in the streets of Tehran and Baghdad. The reaction is not just in Iran. I was surprised to hear that in 430 Indian cities, there were spontaneous demonstrations and meetings to commemorate General Soleimani who was the single-most effective force against Daesh (the Islamic State),” he said.

He underscored that the only people celebrating Soleimani’s killing are US President Donald Trump, secretary of state Mike Pompeo and the IS. “You call them strange bed-fellows? Not necessarily.”

Earlier, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said western countries were preferring the rules-based formulation over international law to scupper the emergence of a multi-polar world.