Russia issues 'catastrophic' nuclear warning to US as Trump ponders Iran strikes
United States president Donald Trump has not yet ruled out whether to use American nuclear weapons to attack the underground Fordow enrichment site in Iran
Russia has sent a stark warning to the USA as it considers whether to use tactical nuclear weapons in Iran.
The Kremlin believes that even if the Americans were to use their weapons carefully the consequences would be "catastrophic". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian TASS news agency there "have been a lot of speculation".
Asked about media reports that Donald Trump was still deciding about what to do, and had not yet ruled out whether to use nuclear weapons to attack the underground Fordow enrichment site in Iran, Mr Peskov said: "This would be a catastrophic development. But there are so many speculations that in fact, it's impossible to comment on them."
The heavily guarded mysterious Fordow bunker is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, around 60 miles of Iran's capital Tehran. It remains the most heavily defended known enrichment site in Iran, buried some 80 to 90 metres underground.
Israel is believed to lack the capability to destroy the site on its own and would need the help of American bombers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordow was part of that plan.
Russia has presented itself as a possible mediating force between US-backed Israel and Iran, although Donald Trump has publicly been reluctant to accept the offer.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene rejected US calls to surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them'.
US officials said this week that Trump had rejected an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei, later adding that there were no plans to kill him 'at least not for now'.
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