Moscow, Russia. Russia warned on Tuesday that the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran could spur Iran and Arab neighbours to seek nuclear weapons, producing the opposite of what Washington and Israel say they aimed to prevent.
Lavrov warns of proliferation risks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the logical consequence could be that “forces will emerge in Iran… in favour of doing exactly what the Americans want to avoid – acquiring a nuclear bomb,” arguing that “the U.S. doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs.”
Lavrov told a press conference that Arab countries could also join the race to build a bomb, warning that the nuclear proliferation problem could “begin to spiral out of control.” He said the “seemingly paradoxical declared noble goal of starting a war to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons could stimulate completely opposite trends.”
War rationale and disputed nuclear claims
U.S. President Donald Trump cited Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies, as one of the reasons why the United States and Israel launched attacks on Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and ignited a war that has spread across the Middle East.
Lavrov said Moscow had still seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely seen as the region’s only nuclear-armed state, which it neither confirms nor denies.
Russia’s ties to Iran and calls to halt fighting
Russia has close ties with Iran, which it sees as crucial to maintaining its influence in the Middle East, especially since their mutual ally, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in December 2024.
President Vladimir Putin called Khamenei’s killing a cynical murder, and Moscow has urged an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Kremlin says Putin will convey Gulf concerns to Iran
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Putin, who spoke with Gulf Arab leaders on Monday, would convey to Iran their concerns about its military strikes on them since the war started.
“Putin will certainly make every effort to contribute to at least a slight easing of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
How do you think the war could affect nuclear policy decisions across the Middle East?