In a direct and unprecedented warning, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an ultimatum to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: cease all military aggression against Iran or prepare for broader consequences.
The statement comes in the wake of a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites—strikes Russia has condemned as “illegal, provocative, and destabilizing” under international law.
“The continued assault on sovereign Iranian infrastructure not only violates global norms,” a Kremlin spokesperson said, “but also risks triggering a nuclear catastrophe and igniting a broader war in the Middle East.”
JUST IN: 🇷🇺🇮🇱 Russia demands Israel immediately stop its attacks on Iran. pic.twitter.com/WLD1mC7zR7
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Israel has defended its actions, claiming the strikes are necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “We will not allow another Holocaust,” said an Israeli government official, reiterating longstanding security concerns about Iran’s enrichment program.
Tehran, however, has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear program is strictly peaceful. Furthermore, Israel has a long-suspected nuclear weapons program, but is the only country in the world that refuses IAEA inspections.
In the wake of the Israeli strikes, Iran responded with a barrage of missile and drone attacks, escalating tensions and drawing condemnation—and concern—from multiple world powers.
Moscow has taken a firm stance, accusing Western nations of enabling Israel’s aggression. Russian officials blasted the United States and European allies for supporting a recent IAEA resolution critical of Iran, calling it “politically motivated and dangerously one-sided.”
“The West is providing Israel with diplomatic cover while fanning the flames of war,” a senior Russian diplomat stated. “They are sabotaging any path to peaceful negotiation.”
While Netanyahu has yet to respond publicly to Putin’s remarks, analysts warn that if Israel continues its strikes, it could find itself in direct confrontation not only with Iran—but with Russia itself.