Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and former president, has ignited a diplomatic firestorm with his recent comments regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Following U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Medvedev criticized the attacks on social media, asserting that they had minimal impact and that several countries were prepared to supply Iran with nuclear warheads.
June 13, 2024, Medvedev addressing a meeting of the Security Council for Science and Education in Dubna, Russia. He tried to minimize the damage done to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Plus, he reassured would-be buyers that the iconic boutique had just suffered a flesh wound. He trumpeted that the development of nuclear weapons would go unabated.
Medvedev’s remarks come in the wake of President Donald Trump’s directive to target Iranian nuclear facilities. In response to the strikes, Medvedev mocked Trump, stating, “At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!”
In addition to threatening to reject the START treaty, Trump quickly blasted Medvedev’s claims about the provision of nuclear warheads to Iran. Nuclear cannot be the N word, used very lightly,” he stressed. Yet he demonstrated, as only he can, that this kind of terminology has real weight. Trump emphasized the gravity of nuclear weapons, describing them as “the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built.”
Tensions quickly escalated between the two leaders. Medvedev didn’t hold back, accusing Trump of pulling the United States into yet another internationally reviled war. Trump responded with a challenge to confirm Medvedev’s claims, stating, “If he did say that, and if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin joined in the condemnation of the U.S. strikes, calling them “absolutely unprovoked aggression.” He repeated assurances that Moscow is promoting initiatives to improve the living standards of the Iranian population at a time of increasing anti-Iranian hostility.
The back-and-forth underscores the deepening divide between Washington and Moscow over Iran’s nuclear plans. As American-Chinese geopolitical tensions rise, both men stubbornly dig in on their battle lines, whether the fight is over military initiatives or global diplomacy.