ST PETERSBURG, June 18 — Russia has cautioned the United States against launching military action on Iran, warning it could provoke a major crisis in the Middle East and risk a nuclear disaster.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking at a forum in St Petersburg, said Moscow had urged Washington to avoid escalating the situation further.
“This would be a step that would radically destabilise the entire situation,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. He also dismissed any “speculative, conjectural options.”
Russia and Iran signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement earlier this year, strengthening their diplomatic and economic ties. However, Moscow is not obligated to provide Tehran with military support under the pact. Russia also maintains a complex relationship with Israel, though tensions have risen due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
As the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies, Moscow has raised alarm over Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned of grave consequences for the global community.
“Nuclear facilities are being struck,” Zakharova said. “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.”
Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin described the Iran-Israel standoff as “critical,” with Moscow remaining in contact with both countries.
The conflict escalated on Wednesday as both Iran and Israel exchanged missile strikes for a sixth consecutive day. Israeli forces reportedly targeted military installations in eastern Tehran and advised residents in certain areas to evacuate. Iranian sources claimed a university linked to the Revolutionary Guards and the Khojir missile facility were among the sites hit.
In the United States, President Donald Trump has warned Iran of consequences but stopped short of committing to military action.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now… Our patience is wearing thin.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded in a televised address, saying:
“This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition.”
“And the Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable consequences.”
Although Russia has offered to mediate between the warring sides, its initiative has not yet been accepted. Meanwhile, analysts suggest that Moscow could benefit economically from a prolonged conflict, with rising oil prices and increased Chinese demand for Russian energy as Western sanctions squeeze Iran’s exports.
As the crisis deepens, fears of a wider regional war and nuclear risk continue to grow.