Jun 18, 2025
ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) – The world is “millimeters away from disaster” regarding the threat of a nuclear escalation in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
On June 13, Israel launched a large-scale operation dubbed Rising Lion, saying it struck military targets and facilities of Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli air force carried out several waves of attacks across Iran, including in Tehran, killing several senior Iranian military officials, as well as several nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by launching Operation True Promise 3 later in the evening that hit military targets inside Israel.
“Every day, missiles are launched several times at Iran’s peaceful civilian infrastructure nuclear facilities, which are under the control of the IAEA observers who are there… Based on the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was made yesterday, it is necessary to understand that we are millimeters away from disaster,” Zakharova said on sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Maria Zakharova said that it was surprising that world’s media did not pay attention to strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Obviously, attacks are being carried out on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which is of a peaceful nature, because this quality has been confirmed by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] . It’s extremely dangerous. And it is really surprising that the world’s mainstream and Western media, which usually pay special attention to human rights, environmental issues … freedom of speech, do not see anything, as always. Apparently, the strategic silence, the so-called white noise, has been turned on again. They talk about anything but what could really lead to a global catastrophe,” Zakharova said on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The Russian city of St. Petersburg will host the 28th edition of SPIEF from June 18-21 under the theme of “Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World.” Rossiya Segodnya international media group, Sputnik’s parent company, is the forum’s information partner.
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