‘Irresponsible, substantial blow to NPT regime’: Russia condemns US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities

Moscow: Russia on Sunday “strongly condemned” the “irresponsible” US follow-on strikes on nuclear sites in Iran as a “blatant violation of international law” by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which will destabilise the region and deals a “substantial blow” to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime.

Former President Dmitri Medvedev, who has increasingly adopted a hawkish posture, also warned that several countries could offer nuclear weapons to Iran.

The US, on early Sunday, joined Israel, which has already carried out a series of attacks on the sites and other military and civilian targets.

Moscow’s official reaction was unequivocal.

“This reckless decision to launch missile and aerial strikes on the territory of a sovereign state, regardless of the justifications offered, constitutes a blatant violation of international law, the UN Charter, and relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council, which has consistently and unequivocally deemed such actions unacceptable. Particularly concerning is the fact that the strikes were executed by a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Noting that the “consequences of this action, including potential radioactive effects, have yet to be determined”, it said: “However, it is already evident that a dangerous escalation is underway, one that threatens to further destabilise security both in the region and globally. This has drastically increased the likelihood of a larger conflict in the Middle East, a region already plagued by numerous crises.”

Russia also maintained that the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities “have dealt a substantial blow to the global non-proliferation regime built around the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which raises particular concerns”.

“They have significantly undermined both the credibility of the NPT and the integrity of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) monitoring and verification mechanisms that underpin it.”

“We expect the IAEA leadership to respond promptly, professionally, and transparently, avoiding vague language or efforts to hide behind political ‘equidistance.’ An unbiased and objective report from the Director General is required to be submitted for consideration at the Agency’s upcoming special session,” it said.

“Obviously, the UN Security Council must take a firm stance as well. Confrontational and destabilising actions taken by the United States and Israel must be collectively rejected,” the Foreign Ministry demanded, adding it called “for an immediate end to aggression and for stepping up efforts to bring the situation back onto a peaceful, diplomatic track”.

“It is already clear that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security,” the Russian foreign ministry adds in a statement.

Medvedev said that “a number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.”

In his post on Telegram on Sunday, he stated that Iranians “are rallying around the country’s spiritual leadership, including those who were previously indifferent or opposed to it”.

“At this rate, (US President Donald) Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize – not even with how rigged it has become,” Medvedev added.

IANS