As tensions between Israel and Iran spiral, with fears it could turn into a full-blown war, Russia has issued a stark warning that any U.S. military strike on Iran would unleash chaos across the region and risk worldwide consequences. The caution comes amid reports that former President Donald Trump is weighing a potential attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, demanding Tehran’s “unconditional surrender.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking to the Interfax news agency on Wednesday, said Russia has strongly advised the U.S. against direct intervention. It would “radically destabilize the entire situation,” Ryabkov stated. Since the conflict ignited just days ago, hundreds have been killed in Iran and dozens in Israel.
Trump, who has been vague about his intentions, offered an evasive response when pressed by reporters. “I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said. But behind the scenes, his administration appears to be preparing. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump has already approved military plans, pending Iran’s response. He reportedly hopes the threat alone will be enough to force Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due,” Trump stated.
But Iran is not backing down. On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected Trump’s demand, vowing that U.S. involvement would bring “irreparable damage.” The Iranian mission to the United Nations added its own fiery statement Wednesday after Trump suggested Iran was willing to meet at the White House.
“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader. Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance. Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat and to any action with reciprocal measures.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi followed up with a more tempered stance, reiterating Iran’s commitment to diplomacy, except in its dealings with Israel. Since Israel’s surprise attack last Friday, Iran has framed its military response as “self-defense.”
Russia, meanwhile, is attempting to walk a tightrope, warning of catastrophe while positioning itself as a mediator. President Vladimir Putin revealed that he had offered to help mediate the crisis but said Trump turned him down during a recent phone call.
“I said, ‘Do me a favor. Mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first.’ I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about [this] later,'” Trump said.
Still, Putin insists there is room for diplomacy, calling it a delicate issue, but a solution could still be found.
“We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Reuters on Wednesday that the world was millimeters away from catastrophe.
“Nuclear facilities are being struck. Where is the [concern from the] entire world community? Where are all the environmentalists? I don’t know if they think they are far away and that this [radiation] wave won’t reach them. Well, let them read what happened at Fukushima.”
While one Russian general dramatically claimed last Friday that “World War III” had already begun and called for mass troop mobilization, most experts believe Russia will steer clear of direct military involvement. Despite deepening ties with Iran earlier this year through a strategic cooperation agreement, the pact notably excluded any mutual defense clause.
Analysts say Russia’s interests are more complex. Hanna Notte, a senior expert at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, noted on a thread on X that Russia is playing a “fine balancing act” and trying to appear useful to the U.S. without jeopardizing its relationship with Iran.
“For now, Russia will play its cards cautiously & observe how the situation plays out – understanding that it has [limited] leverage over the course of events And try to be involved in whatever comes next while avoiding entanglement/overextension.”
That caution may also serve Russia’s self-interest. The conflict in the Middle East has drawn attention away from the war in Ukraine, where Russia remains mired. Trump recently canceled a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to focus on the Iran-Israel crisis. Russian oil prices have surged 15% since the conflict began, offering a short-term economic boost.
“Ukraine will suffer the greatest military and political damage in this situation, apart from Iran itself,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.
“A new war in the Middle East will not only distract the world’s attention from the [war in Ukraine] but will also, apparently, contribute to the final reorientation of the U.S. towards providing military assistance to Israel.”
However, destabilization could spill over into neighboring regions, such as the South Caucasus, where Russia has significant interests. And if Iran’s regime were to collapse, Russia might lose one of its few remaining allies. “If this regime falls,” Notte told The Guardian, “It will be much harder for Russia to retain its assets and influence in the country.” Russia has poured billions into Iran’s energy and infrastructure sectors in recent years.
The international community is taking notice. Russia, along with China and Pakistan, has called for a second emergency U.N. Security Council meeting scheduled for Friday. European powers are also planning nuclear talks with Iranian officials in Geneva, though the U.S. is not currently expected to attend.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its campaign and its demands. While initially focused on stopping Iran’s nuclear development, Israel now says it must also destroy Iran’s capacity to produce ballistic missiles, Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told CNN on Wednesday.
“They cannot have the weapons that can destroy Israel, which they claim and which they want to do every day. It might require multiple strikes, it might require something else, or it might require one of our surprises. We have a few tricks up our sleeves.”
In a national address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump, saying the two “speak constantly.” Israel has reportedly pressured Washington to join the conflict, and the U.S. has responded by moving warships, aircraft, and troops closer to the region. Trump also cautioned Tehran’s 9.5 million residents to immediately evacuate, which he later stated was just a precaution.
Trump also insinuated on Truth Social on Tuesday that the U.S. could organize a strike to kill Khamenei, an idea Trump had rejected when Israel had suggested it.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Another potential U.S. strike target is Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow uranium enrichment site. Experts say only America possesses the bunker-busting weaponry capable of destroying it. Trump, according to sources, has warmed to the idea, especially after reports that Iran’s nuclear stockpile may now be untraceable. Israeli airstrikes have forced U.N. inspectors to flee multiple sites, including a key underground facility in Isfahan.
Iran states that it has the right to enrich its uranium in line with its civilian nuclear program under the United Nations Treaty on Nuclear Nonproliferation. “We have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons,” Foreign Minister Araghchi said.
“If otherwise, what better pretext could we possibly need for developing those inhuman weapons than the current aggression by the region’s only nuclear-armed regime?”
Analysts have cautioned that rather than discouraging Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, Israel’s attacks would encourage it to do so.
Although Iran has enriched uranium to significant levels, U.S. intelligence had assessed that Iran was not thought to be constructing nuclear weapons. Trump has subsequently denied those assessments, stating, “I think they were very close to having them.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Wednesday that it can no longer verify the location of Iran’s enriched uranium, raising alarms among global nuclear watchdogs.
For Russia, the mounting crisis is not just about diplomacy. It’s about credibility. In a statement on Tuesday, Russia accused Israel of trying to deliberately undermine U.S.-Iran negotiations. The foreign ministry suggested that Israel’s airstrikes were not only reckless but coordinated with unnamed states acting out of “opportunistic interests.”
“The confrontational approach and destructive actions of the Israeli leadership receive understanding and support solely from those states which are de facto accomplices, motivated by opportunistic interests,” the statement reads.
“Israel’s continued, intensive attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran are unlawful under international law, pose unacceptable threats to international security, and drive the world closer to a nuclear catastrophe – the consequences of which will be felt globally, including in Israel itself. Russia calls on the Israeli leadership to reconsider its actions and immediately cease its raids on nuclear installations and sites under IAEA safeguards and subject to IAEA verification.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
