Russia Calls for Two Things After Trump's Ultimatum to Attack Iran's Power Grid

Russia has called for a political and diplomatic resolution to the war in the Middle East. The call from Russia comes after US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or see its power grid destroyed.

According to AFP, on Monday (23/3/2026), Trump threatened to “destroy” Iran’s power plants if the country does not reopen the strategic waterway within 48 hours, which was supposed to end on Monday (22/3) night US time.

The waterway has remained closed since the war began on 28 February, triggered by US-Israeli bombings against Iran.

“We believe that the situation should shift to a political and diplomatic resolution,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a press conference.

“This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to de-escalating the tense situation that has now developed in the region,” Peskov said.

Russia—which helped build Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant at Bushehr—has warned that attacks could endanger the site, which the UN nuclear watchdog announced last week had been hit by projectiles.

“Of course, this poses a very serious security threat if this trend continues,” Peskov said on Monday (16/3).

“We consider attacks on nuclear facilities to be potentially very dangerous and fraught with consequences that may even be irreparable,” he added.

Russia continues to engage in dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the Bushehr plant, Peskov said.

The head of the agency, Rafael Grossi, called for “restraint during the conflict to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident,” the IAEA said in a statement last week.