Russian Official Speaks Out as US Attacks Iran, Calls Trump Hypocritical
Global tensions have reached a new peak following Russia’s sharp criticism of the United States. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, has accused Washington of using nuclear diplomacy merely as a pretext to launch military operations against Tehran.
Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, stated that the air strikes conducted by the US alongside Israel on Saturday (28 February 2026) revealed the “true face” of the White House. According to him, the US never genuinely intended to reach a peaceful agreement in the nuclear negotiations that have been ongoing.
“The peacemaker once again shows their true identity,” Medvedev wrote via his official Telegram channel. “All negotiations with Iran are just a cover operation. There is no doubt about that. No one actually wants to agree on anything.”
President Donald Trump’s decision to launch these military operations is viewed as the culmination of his “maximum pressure” policy, which he has revived since taking office in his second term. Trump believes that diplomacy conducted by previous administrations was too lenient and actually gave Iran time to strengthen its proxies in the Middle East and accelerate uranium enrichment at its underground facilities.
The White House emphasised that the operation is a preventive measure to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to halt threats to oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The time for debate is over. Iran has ignored every opportunity for peace, and today we send a clear message: America will not allow a regime that threatens the world with terror to possess the most deadly weapons on Earth,” Trump said.
Within hours of Tehran being struck, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a massive retaliatory attack targeting US and allied assets across the Middle East. In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, loud explosions were reported on the outskirts of the capital, prompting local authorities to immediately close parts of airspace as an emergency precaution.
A similar situation occurred in Manama, Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet base became a primary target of Iranian missiles. Air raid sirens continued to wail throughout the city, forcing residents to remain in basements whilst air defence systems worked hard to intercept the barrage of incoming attacks.
Meanwhile, the Government of Kuwait confirmed it had activated its air defence system after detecting several projectiles heading towards its territory. Kuwait’s airspace has now been completely closed to all civilian flights to prevent accidents during the missile exchanges.
In Qatar, Al-Udeid Air Base, which houses thousands of US military personnel, was also reported to be within the range of attacks. Qatar’s Patriot defence system reportedly succeeded in intercepting at least one missile heading towards Doha, although tensions in the area remain high.
Finally, the escalation extended to Iraq, where several facilities hosting coalition forces also came under fire.