Gennady Zyuganov told a news conference that the publication of the offensive cartoons was a "well thought-out major provocation using newspapers and magazines to aggravate the situation, the relationship between the European countries and the Muslim world.”

Zyuganov (pictured below) said that the riots could only benefit the US and that they were "not advantageous for Europe but those who have raised this hysteria, insulted religious feelings of one and a half billion of Muslims, are pushing Europe into the arms of the American military clique.”

Last week, Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that the publication of the offensive cartoons was a planned psyop on the part of the US and aimed to “provoke a row between Europe and the Islamic world”.

“It will all end with European countries thanking the United States and paying, and giving soldiers,” said Zhirinovsky.

Although the riots have largely calmed, the build-up to a military strike on Iran is intense, with newspapers today reporting that the Pentagon had significantly advanced in its planning for bombing raids and submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks on the country.