Russia condemns “irresponsible” US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities

Russia has condemned the United States for its airstrikes and missile attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them “irresponsible, provocative and dangerous,” and warning that they risk pushing the Middle East toward a large-scale war with potentially catastrophic nuclear consequences, RT reported.

Speaking at an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Sunday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of violating the UN Charter, international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), according to RT.

“The United States has opened a Pandora’s box, and no one knows what consequences may follow,” Nebenzia said, noting that by targeting IAEA-supervised nuclear sites, Washington has “once again demonstrated total disregard for the position of the international community,” according to RT. 

Nebenzia drew a pointed comparison to the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq War, when then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented “false evidence to justify the invasion of another sovereign state, only to plunge its people into chaos for decades and not find any weapons of mass destruction.”

“Many today feel a strong sense of déjà vu,” he said. “The current situation is essentially no different: we are once again being urged to believe in fairy tales in order to once again bring suffering to millions of people living in the Middle East.”

Russia argued that Tehran has not been proven to be pursuing nuclear weapons development, echoing earlier assessments by US intelligence that were dismissed by President Donald Trump as “wrong.” Nebenzia accused Washington of fabricating a narrative to justify the use of force and of undermining the decades-old diplomatic framework built around Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.