Russia said Thursday that any attacks on its ally Iran would be unacceptable and illegal, warning of irreversible consequences if the U.S. were to bomb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned President Trump’s threat to bomb Iran if a deal on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is not reached, reiterating its support for Iran’s program.
“The use of military force by Iran’s opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. “Threats from outside to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe. These threats are simply unacceptable.”
Mr. Trump made the threats Sunday during a phone interview, promising to use military force and sanctions if Iran refuses to negotiate.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” the president said.
Mr. Trump’s comments follow his letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which the president gave the Islamic Republic a two-month deadline to reach a nuclear settlement or face severe consequences.
Reports suggest that the U.S. is bolstering its military presence in the region. Open-source intelligence reports from March said that new B-2 stealth bombers and C-17 transport aircraft are already stationed at the U.S. Air Force base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Western leaders assert that Iran is covertly enriching weapons-grade uranium on its way to developing a nuclear arsenal. Nuclear watchdogs have found that Iran’s level of uranium enrichment is far higher than what would be necessary for purely civilian use.
Iran has long rejected claims that its nuclear facilities are used for defense purposes, insisting that its enrichment processes are used only for commercial and civilian reasons.
Iran is already enduring heavy sanctions as a part of Mr. Trump’s “Maximum Pressure” campaign against the country. The president issued the new round of sanctions in an executive order in February, targeting new sectors of Iran’s economy not already hit by sanctions.
Iran says it will not participate in direct talks with U.S. delegates while the heavy sanctions are in place, asserting that it will not be bullied to the negotiating table. Last month, Iranian officials rejected offers for direct talks with U.S. negotiators while leaving the door open for indirect communications.