Vladimir Putin erupts at Donald Trump and vows Russia will help Iran

Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin has lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump over the recent American airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Putin denounced the attacks as “unprovoked aggression that has no justification” and pledged that Russia would support Tehran in response.

According to President Trump, U.S. forces “obliterated” three critical Iranian nuclear sites in a mission called Operation Midnight Hammer, launched in the early hours of Sunday morning. Iran has vowed to retaliate, and Russian state news agency TASS reported that Putin said Moscow is “making efforts to help the Iranian people.”

This marks the first time Putin has personally commented on American strikes in Iran, though he has previously condemned Israeli military actions against Iranian targets.

Exactly what form Russian “help” might take remains unclear. Putin’s remarks coincided with a visit by Iran’s foreign minister to Moscow for talks with Russian officials.

Upon arriving in Russia, Iranian envoy Abbas Araghchi told local media that discussions with the Kremlin “certainly can be of great importance.”

Iran has long been a close partner of Russia and a major supplier of weaponry used in the war on Ukraine, including large shipments of Shahed kamikaze drones deployed by Moscow to pummel Ukrainian infrastructure.

Since hostilities erupted on June 19—sparked by Israeli strikes—Iran’s allies have mostly remained quiet.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is prepared to assist Iran “in various ways,” depending on Tehran’s requests.

“Everything depends on what Iran needs,” Peskov explained. “We have offered our mediation efforts. This is concrete.”

He added that Iran has been “repeatedly discussed” during Putin’s conversations with Trump.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement Sunday strongly condemning the U.S. operation, which involved seven B-2 stealth bombers and a submarine launching more than two dozen cruise missiles at Iranian targets.

Since the American strikes, Iran and Israel have continued exchanging fire.

On Monday, Iranian state television reported that the Fordow underground enrichment facility was attacked again.

The fortified site, buried deep beneath a mountain, was hit on Sunday by America’s 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator “bunker buster” bombs—marking the first time these weapons have been used in combat.