Former nominal Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was highly critical of President Donald Trump’s decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night. He expressed his utter contempt in a 10-point rant on X.
Medvedev began by minimizing the damage from the strikes, claiming, “Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage.”
The reality is that until the sites are evaluated by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, no one knows the extent of the damage. As I reported earlier, the IAEA confirmed there was “clear and significant” damage to the surface and tunnel entrances of Iran’s Fordow facility. But with inspections still pending, the degree of damage to the site’s underground chambers remains unknown. Medvedev was merely parroting the latest Iranian talking point.
He then promised that Iran would continue to enrich nuclear material.
But it was his next remark that raised the most alarm. Medvedev declared, “A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.” Which countries is he referring to—China? North Korea? Is Russia itself planning to “directly supply” Iran with a nuclear warhead? With an estimated arsenal of around 5,500 nuclear weapons, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. After all, Russia has a vested interest in keeping the steady flow of Iranian-made drones used in Ukraine going.
But Russia is also a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which prohibits nuclear-armed states from transferring nuclear weapons or related technology to non-nuclear states like Iran. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown a willingness to disregard international agreements, the risks of supplying Iran with a nuclear weapon would far outweigh any potential reward. Already viewed as a pariah by much of the West, Russia would likely face intensified economic sanctions, deeper international isolation, and possibly even military repercussions.
While likely bluster, the remark was nonetheless undeniably reckless.
He then stated that “Israel is under attack, explosions are rocking the country, and people are panicking.” According to The Washington Post, Iran launched two volleys of missiles into Israel on Sunday morning, with several managing to breach air defenses, wounding citizens and flattening buildings. But this was happening daily before the U.S. strikes.
There is a strong likelihood that Iran will retaliate against U.S. military interests in the region and potentially activate sleeper cells inside the U.S. During this morning’s Pentagon press conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, acknowledged these threats and emphasized that the military intends to address them proactively rather than reactively.
News that the U.S. had assassinated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani as his convoy departed the Baghdad International Airport in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2020, left the international community reeling. As Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh revenge” for “Soleimani’s martyrdom” and then, just as now, liberal politicians in the U.S. condemned Trump’s “dangerous” decision, the world braced for the regime’s brutal retaliation.
Five days later, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases that housed U.S. forces. Due to a warning from Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, precautions were taken, and there were no casualties. Iran’s attacks ceased shortly thereafter.
Medvedev went on to warn that Trump has pushed the U.S. into a new war, with “prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon.”
He claimed that most countries condemned the strikes. Yet I suspect some leaders who criticized them publicly were privately quite pleased.
Finally, he said, “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!”
Anyway, just when I thought Medvedev’s whining about Operation Midnight Hammer couldn’t be topped, along came a take from New York Times reporter John Ismay, that said, ‘Hold my vodka.’
Following the Pentagon press conference, Ismay wrote in the Times’ live update section: “In the briefing, Hegseth referred to B-2 pilots as ‘our boys on those bombers,’ yet both men and women have trained to fly them.”
And people had thoughts.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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