Russia welcomes Iran-Israel ceasefire, hopes it will last
MOSCOW: Russia said on Tuesday that it would welcome a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, after both sides and US President Donald Trump announced a halt in hostilities.
'If a ceasefire has indeed been achieved, this can only be welcomed,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow hoped 'that this will be a sustainable ceasefire'.
Moscow provides crucial backing for Tehran, but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even as the United States launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.
When asked about accusations that Russia provided only tepid and symbolic support for Iran, Peskov hit back, saying that there were 'many who want to use the situation to pour oil onto the fire and spoil the partnership between Moscow and Tehran'.
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not announce any concrete support for his key ally, even as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi headed to Moscow a day after the US strikes.
Putin slammed attacks on Iran in the meeting with Araghchi as 'unprovoked' and 'unjustified', without directly mentioning the United States, adding that Russia was 'making efforts to help the Iranian people', without elaborating.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
US strikes may have set back Iran nuclear program only months, sources say
Satellite image over Fordow, before the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran, June 2, 2025. 2025 Planet Labs PBC via REUTERS/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has determined that U.S. strikes over the weekend on Iranian nuclear facilities have set back Tehran's program by only a matter of months, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The initial report was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's main intelligence arm and one of 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss classified matters. The classified assessment is at odds with the statements of President Donald Trump and high-ranking U.S. officials - including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They have said the weekend strikes, which used a combination of bunker-busting bombs and more conventional weapons, essentially eliminated Iran's nuclear program. Trump has said the attacks were necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies it is seeking such a weapon and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Hegseth on Sunday said that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear ambitions, while Trump said Iran's crucial nuclear sites had been "completely and fully obliterated." Assessing the damage at the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites is expected to be a difficult task, and the DIA is not the only agency tasked with the job. One source said the assessment was not universally accepted and had generated significant disagreement. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. did not know the extent of the damage yet. Still, the initial assessment indicated the strikes may not have been nearly as successful as the Trump administration has claimed. One of the sources said Iran's enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and in fact the country's nuclear program may have been set back only a month or two. The Pentagon disputed the notion that the damage to Iran's nuclear program was minor, though it did not dispute that the DIA assessment exists. "Based on everything we have seen — and I've seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons," Hegseth said in a statement provided to Reuters. "Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in a statement to CNN, which first reported the intelligence assessment, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the conclusion was incorrect. "This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong," Leavitt said, according to CNN. "Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration." Initial military assessments can change as more information comes to light and it is not uncommon for opinions to vary across different U.S. intelligence agencies. Democrats have previously said Trump's claims that the weekend strikes eliminated or seriously set back Iran's nuclear program were not yet backed by evidence. "There's zero evidence that I've seen that the nuclear program was completely and totally obliterated as Donald Trump has claimed," House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday. Classified briefings on the matter for members of the House of Representatives and Senate were canceled on Tuesday. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Idrees Ali in Washington and Gram Slattery in The Hague; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman)
The Star
44 minutes ago
- The Star
Russian air defences destroy dozens of Ukrainian drones, officials say
(Reuters) -Russian air defence units destroyed dozens of Ukrainian drones over widely separated regions of Russia on Tuesday, including more than 40 over Voronezh region on the Ukrainian border, officials said. Voronezh regional Governor Alexander Gusev, writing on Telegram, said there were no injuries and more than 40 drones were destroyed over urban areas and near the border. The governor of Ulyanovsk region on the Volga River said eight drones had been repelled without any casualties. Russia's Defence Ministry said 22 drones had been destroyed over nearly four hours. It noted 13 drones downed over Voronezh and others over Saratov and Samara regions and Tatarstan, all along the Volga, as well as in Belgorod Region on the Ukrainian border. Reuters could not independently verify the attacks. Ukraine has beefed up its capacity of drone construction and strikes since the start of the 40-month-old war against Russia. In an attack earlier this month, dubbed "Operation Spider's Web", it targeted Russian long-range bombers at air bases. Russia has intensified its drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent months. A missile attack on Tuesday in southeastern Ukraine killed at least 17 people. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Iran says airspace to remain closed until Wednesday afternoon
TEHRAN, June 24 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian spokesman said on Tuesday the country's airspace will remain closed until Wednesday afternoon, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Majid Akhavan, spokesman of the Roads and Urban Development Ministry, said the decision was made in light of the recent developments and to ensure the safety of passengers and flights, noting that the flight suspension would remain in effect until 2:00 p.m. local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday. Iran closed its airspace after Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and other parts of the country on June 13. A ceasefire between the two sides was declared early Tuesday.
