European nations worked Monday to keep diplomatic efforts to curb the Israel-Iran war alive as the two countries traded strikes following the United States’ weekend attack on Iran’s nuclear program. Calls for Tehran to enter talks with Washington appeared to fall on deaf ears as it reached out to ally Russia for support.

Iran has spent decades building multi-tiered military capabilities at home and across the region that were at least partly aimed at deterring the United States from attacking it.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to coordinate Iran’s response to U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.