Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that continued military action against Iran could compel Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons, warning that the conflict risks triggering wider proliferation in the Middle East, reported Russian state news agency Tass
“The aggression against Iran may well force the country to create nuclear weapons,” Lavrov told a press conference. “This war unfolded against Iran may cause not just Tehran, but other countries as well, to develop nuclear weapons,” he said, adding that “such sentiments may quickly emerge in Arab countries neighboring Iran.”
Lavrov said there was no evidence that Tehran was currently developing nuclear weapons and called for what he described as a serious discussion about Washington’s global role and its approach towards other nuclear-armed states.
In this context, he cautioned that “the seemingly paradoxical noble goal of starting a war to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons may stimulate the exact opposite.”
Russia urged an immediate halt to hostilities across the region. “We deem it necessary to categorically and resolutely speak out in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities,” Lavrov said. He added that, based on public statements from the United States and Israel, it appeared they were prepared to continue military operations against Iran indefinitely, while “their ultimate objective remains unknown.”
The remarks follow a large-scale joint military operation launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
Washington said the strikes targeted “critical components” of Iran’s nuclear programme and command centres linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, where military facilities were hit. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior figures were killed in the attacks, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting sites in Israel and U.S.-linked military installations in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, has been effectively closed, pushing up crude prices.
In a televised address, U.S. President Donald Trump defended the strikes, saying they were a defensive measure. “For years, Iran has been the world’s primary sponsor of terror,” he said. “Intelligence in recent days made it clear that an attack against US assets and our closest ally, Israel, was imminent. We could not and will not allow the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism to have nuclear weapons.”