Russia warns of 'new war' as Trump strikes Iran, says Tehran emerges stronger

Senior Russian officials have condemned the United States’ recent military strikes on Iran, warning of a spiralling regional conflict and accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of igniting a "new war" that could backfire by strengthening Iran's leadership.

A top Russian security official, Dmitry Medvedev, has sharply criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for launching military attacks on Iran, declaring that the strikes would only bolster the Iranian regime by uniting its population around Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war for the U.S.," said Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. "With this kind of success, Trump won't win the Nobel Peace Prize."

Medvedev suggested that the strikes had failed to significantly damage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, while inadvertently strengthening Tehran’s internal political standing. "The people are consolidating around the spiritual leadership, even those who did not sympathise with it," he added.

The Kremlin, which maintains strategic ties with both Iran and Israel, had previously warned Washington that any military intervention could plunge the region into an "abyss." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has positioned himself as a potential mediator, reportedly sought assurances from Israel that Russian personnel working on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant would not be harmed.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued a strong condemnation of the U.S. operation, saying it undermined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and demanded that the United Nations Security Council address the issue urgently.

"It is already obvious that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security," the ministry said. "The risk of the conflict spreading in the Middle East, which is already gripped by multiple crises, has increased significantly."

While relations between Moscow and Tehran have historically fluctuated since the 16th century, they have deepened in recent years through military cooperation, arms deals, and a 20-year strategic partnership signed earlier this year. Russia has also purchased drones and other weaponry from Iran for its military campaign in Ukraine.

As tensions rise across the Middle East, Moscow’s next steps could play a significant role in shaping the trajectory of the conflict.

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