Russia has issued a warning after the US carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
These operations included the first combat use of 15-ton GBU-57 “bunker-buster” bombs, aimed at the fortified Fordow enrichment plant – though Russian Deputy Security Council head Dmitry Medvedev claimed the impact was only minimal, per the New York Post.
Medvedev emphasized that the strikes won’t deter Russia’s ally from pursuing nuclear capabilities and suggested outside countries are ready to step in if sanctions continue.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced plans to travel to Moscow for discussions with President Putin. “We enjoy a strategic partnership, and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” Araghchi told Russian media.
Shortly after the airstrikes, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a scathing denunciation, calling the attack “a gross violation of international law, the UN Charter, and UN Security Council resolutions” and warning that “a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security.”
Beijing echoed this sentiment, accusing the U.S. of violating international protocols and cautioning that the attack could trigger widespread consequences across the Middle East.
China pledged willingness to “work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and contribute to the work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.”
In response to surging tensions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to pressure Iran into keeping the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial oil shipping route – open.
He told CBS’s Face the Nation: “It will have some impact on us. It will have a lot more impact on the rest of the world,” calling any closure “economic suicide for Iran.”
Iran, in turn, revealed that in the days before the U.S. strikes, it issued a dire warning to President Trump during the G7 summit in Canada.
According to The Mirror, Tehran threatened to activate sleeper-cell attacks on American soil if the nuclear sites were attacked.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin, warning of an elevated threat to the U.S., including possible cyberattacks and targeting of current and former officials connected to the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Vice President JD Vance assured the public that law enforcement is monitoring the situation closely.
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams stressed no immediate threats were identified but confirmed increased police patrols around Jewish, Persian, and high-traffic areas like Times Square, reminding citizens to remain alert to possible lone-wolf attacks, per NBC News.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian promised a steadfast response to the strikes: “Our nation will not [kneel] down in the face of bullying and oppression. It is natural that it will respond to the aggression proportionately. It was the US that attacked us.”
