Putin ally says countries now ready to supply Iran with nuclear weapons
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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev enters the hall during the Board of the Prosecutor-General Main Office, March 19 in Moscow, Russia.© Getty Images
Former Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said Sunday that President
Donald Trump "has pushed the US into another war" and that countries are "ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads."
Medvedev made the remarks on Telegram, outlining his views on what the Trump administration's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities would lead to moving forward.
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"The enrichment of nuclear material—and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons—will continue," Medvedev, a top ally of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, wrote in his Telegram post. "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads."
Newsweek reached out to the State Department for comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
The Russian official's comment came after the U.S. carried out attacks targeting three nuclear sites across the Persian Gulf nation—at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump described the operation as a "very successful attack" and has now called for "peace," while Iran has said it will retaliate.
Trump's decision came after Israel and Iran have exchanged consistent strikes since June 13. Israel had urged the U.S. to target Iran's nuclear facilities, saying that Tehran was moving close to creating a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian, not military, purposes.
What To Know
Medvedev accused the U.S. of significantly escalating the conflict with its strikes. Since the outbreak of the current conflict, Russian officials have repeatedly raised concerns about escalation—issuing warnings about potential nuclear fallout.
The Russian official laid out the current situation after the U.S. strikes, writing on Telegram: "Israel is under attack, explosions are rocking the country, and people are panicking."
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He added that "the US is now entangled in a new conflict, with prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon."
"Iran's political regime has survived—and in all likelihood, has come out even stronger," Medvedev wrote.
"Donald Trump, once hailed as 'president of peace,' has now pushed the US into another war," he continued. "At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize—not even with how rigged it has become."
Trump has long said that he should win a Nobel Peace Prize and was
recently nominated to receive one by Pakistan.
What To Know After U.S. Bombs Iran
The U.S. struck Fordow, roughly 60 miles south of Tehran, as well as the Natanz complex to the southeast and Isfahan, southwest of Natanz, Trump said. The president hailed the attacks as a "spectacular military success," adding: "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated."
Experts said it was too early to tell exactly how much damage has been done to Iran's network of nuclear sites. U.S. Air Force General Dan Caine, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, said on Sunday morning that initial assessments of the operation dubbed "Midnight Hammer" indicated "all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," but analysis was ongoing.
Ash from airstrikes currently covers much of the area, and several of the entrances to Fordow's tunnel network appear to be blocked with dirt, Maxar, an American space technology company, said. Images separately published by Planet Labs on Sunday also showed ash covering the area around Fordow.
Fordow is built under a mountain, a facility that was secret until 2009 and Israel has been unable to destroy it with its weapons. While Israel has carried out strikes on Iran's nuclear sites—including Natanz and Isfahan—since it started its campaign over a week ago, the U.S. is considered the only country able to reach the deeply buried sites like Fordow using B-2 bombers and "bunker buster" bombs. These huge bombs had never been used before in combat.
Israel continued attacking Iran into Sunday, and Tehran launched fresh strikes on several Israeli cities. Whether there is more escalation directly between Iran and the U.S. remains to be seen.
"If U.S. servicemembers are killed or
U.S. military assets hit, Trump has indicated the United States will launch further strikes. The Trump administration might also feel compelled to take further action if Iran does move to restrict maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Israel may also push for further U.S. involvement," Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities told
Newsweek on Sunday.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Saturday evening: "ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU!"
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: "The United States, a permanent member of the
United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations. The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people."
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday: "Stopping Iran from having a nuclear bomb is a top priority, but dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war is not the solution. Trump's strikes are unconstitutional and put Americans, especially our troops, at risk.
Congress needs to come back to DC immediately to vote on Rep.
Thomas Massie and my bipartisan War Powers Resolution to ensure there is no further conflict and escalation."
Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, to NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday: "First about the president's decision: I thought it was bold, quite frankly, brilliant, militarily necessary, and, most importantly, effective. So well done, Mr. President, to your team and our militaries and fantastic operation that has substantially degraded, I think, Iran's nuclear program."
Vice President JD Vance to Meet the Press on Sunday: "We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program...The operation was really extraordinary. These guys flew from Missouri. They didn't land a single time. They dropped 30,000-pound bombs on a target the size of a washing machine and then got back home safely without ever landing in the Middle East or ever stopping other than to briefly refuel."
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, on X on Sunday: "When two countries are bombing each other daily in a hot war, and a third country joins the bombing, that's an act of war. I'm amazed at the mental gymnastics being undertaken by neocons in DC (and their social media bots) to say we aren't at war... so they can make war."
What Happens Next?
Iran's foreign minister said after the attack that his country reserves "all options to defend its sovereignty." The U.S. military is preemptively preparing for any attack from Tehran in response.
It's unclear whether the War Powers Resolution sponsored by Khanna and Massie, which aims to curb Trump's ability to take military action against Iran, has the support to move forward in the House. However, with
Republican control of both chambers, it is not widely expected to succeed.
