As Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iran retaliated with rocket attacks, many fear that World War III could be around the corner.
Trump has recently weighed in, with reports claiming that the US may be intending to launch attacks of its own on Iran, per ABC News.
Russia, Iran’s ally, has issued stern warnings that any U.S. intervention could “radically destabilize the entire situation.”
Trump remains deliberately vague about his intentions: “I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he told reporters.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has already approved strike plans but is holding off to see if Iran will abandon its nuclear ambitions.
As Trump explained: “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due.”
Sources say he’s warmed to the idea of targeting Iran’s underground Fordow uranium enrichment site, aiming to destroy Tehran’s nuclear capacity.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax this week that Moscow has advised the U.S. to steer clear of direct involvement, noting the conflict has already claimed hundreds of Iranian lives and dozens of Israeli casualties.
His remarks followed Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender” from Iran and his contemplation of strikes on the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded that any U.S. military intervention would be “costly”, declaring: “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”
Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Reuters: “Nuclear facilities are being struck… Where is the [concern from the] entire world community?”
Then came a chilling two-word warning: that the world is millimeters away from “nuclear catastrophe”.
Moscow has also offered mediation – an offer Trump turned down, saying to Putin: “Do me a favor. Mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first.”
Putin later said Russia has proposed solutions to all parties: “We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel.”
Despite alarm bells over talk of “World War III,” experts remain skeptical that Russia would militarily intervene, per Time.
While Iran and Russia signed a strategic partnership earlier this year, analysts note it lacks a mutual defense clause.
As Middle East analyst Marianna Belenkaya explained, Russia is consumed by Ukraine and is “trying to restore or improve relations with Washington.”
Russia, China, and Pakistan have asked the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session.
France, Germany, and the UK are meeting with Iran in Geneva this week to discuss nuclear issues, though the US is currently not involved.
Israel has escalated its military operations, attacking Iranian missile sites and nuclear infrastructure.
Israel and the US continue to question Tehran’s nuclear intent. U.S. intelligence previously concluded Iran lacked a nuclear weapons program, but Trump dismissed such reports.
Iran denies any ambition for nuclear arms, stating: “We have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons,” while stressing that “the current aggression by the region’s only nuclear‑armed regime” only highlights why they shouldn’t.
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