A ‘number of countries’ are ready to supply Iran with nuclear warheads after its nuclear facilities were attacked by the US, Russian ex-president Dmitriy Medvedev has claimed.
In a post on X/Twitter early on Sunday, Medvedev suggested that the US strikes on three sites in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow had backfired and led to the opposite result from what US President Donald Trump had set out to achieve.
In a taunting post, Medvedev claimed: ‘Enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue.’
Medvedev, who has served as President of Russia from 2008 to 2012, further stated that ‘Iran’s political regime has survived — and in all likelihood, has come out even stronger’.
He continued to claim that Iranians are ‘rallying around the country’s spiritual leadership, including those who were previously indifferent or opposed to it’.
His anti-US and pro-Iran social media rant was posted in English and broken down into ten points – gathering more than three million views.
Medvedev, who has served as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020, has been regarded by some as a potential potential successor to Putin.
It is not the first time the former Russian President has gone on a social media rant, as over the years he has earned himself a reputation for going on increasingly venomous tirades following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The close Putin ally initially presented himself as a liberal reformer during his one-off stint as president from 2008-2012.
Yet when Russian troops marched over the Ukrainian border three years ago, Medvedev rolled back his liberal stance and quickly became one of the most hawkish and aggressive mouthpieces of the Kremlin.
Commentators in Russia and beyond have claimed the former president’s overt rage and support of the war could be a tactic to ensure his continued prosperity and safety as a member of Putin’s inner circle, or perhaps to curry favour with hardliners as Putin grows older.
An eyebrow-raising investigation conducted by independent Russian outlet The Insider revealed last year that many of his outlandish statements came just after he received a shipment of wine from Italian vineyards.
Medvedev intervention on Iran’s behalf could be because Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has only been made possible by enduring support from Tehran.
The two anti-Western countries signed a sweeping strategic partnership in January to formalise their military and political alignment.
And as tensions escalated last week, Moscow has been manoeuvring to present itself as a regional power broker – as Vladimir Putin personally telephoned the White House on Saturday to offer himself as a mediator.
While Moscow has bought weapons from Iran for its war in Ukraine and signed a 20-year strategic partnership deal with Tehran earlier this year, their relationship since the 16th century, when Muscovy officially established relations with the Persian Empire, has at times been troubled.
Elsewhere inside Russia, there were calls to come to the aid of its partner and to supply Iran with the same support which Washington had given to Ukraine – including air defence systems, missiles and satellite intelligence.
‘It’s time for us to help Tehran,’ said Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeyev. ‘And at the same time, to offer the United States and Iran diplomatic assistance in peace negotiations by appointing a special envoy for this. Two can play at this game.’
Jailed Russian nationalist Igor Girkin said that unless Russia supported Iran, the Islamic Republic would be bombed into the Stone Age by the United States and Israel and then plunged into chaos.
‘If Iran does not receive the necessary support from its allies, Russia and China, and very serious and significant support, then, most likely, within a month, its enemies will achieve this,’ Girkin said on Telegram.
Following the US strikes, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Russia strongly condemns the assault on its ally Iran.
In a statement, its ministry said: ‘The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
‘We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track.’
Later on Sunday, it was reported that Trump was set to hold a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following American strikes on Iranian soil.
Medvedev’s intervention comes after top US officials urged Iran to surrender after strikes on the nation’s nuclear sites ‘severely damaged’ its nuclear capabilities overnight.
President Trump broke his two-week deadline on Saturday night as he launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, sending a fleet of B-2 bombers to key nuclear sites.
The US strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft, which targeted three critical sites.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Sunday morning press conference that the strikes were ‘bold’ and ‘brilliant’, and warned Iran that there would be dire consequences if it does not come to the negotiating table.
Officials admitted that it is ‘way too early’ to say whether Iran still retains some nuclear capabilities, with sources saying the deep underground Fordow site was not entirely destroyed in the operation.
World leaders condemned Trump’s decision to wade into the conflict, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying Trump ‘violated’ international peace.
Iran’s foreign minister branded Trump a ‘lawless bully’ who ‘betrayed’ diplomacy after the US blew up three nuclear bases – as he warned the world has been thrown into an ‘unprecedented level of danger’.
Early Sunday morning, Iran retaliated by targeting Israel in a devastating set of attacks – with emergency services reporting at least 16 people injured.
Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer has urged all sides to return to negotiations but said he had taken ‘all necessary measures’ to protect British interests in the region if the conflict escalates.
He spoke out ahead of a Cobra meeting on Sunday afternoon, as Tehran vowed to retaliate for the strike on three facilities in the heart of the country.