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US Defense Secretary Warns Russia Against Getting Involved in Iran Conflict
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Russia, advising the country not to get involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Hegseth made his comments in response to questions about a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to CNN on March 10.
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Describing the conversation as a “strong call,” Hegseth expressed hope that it had reinforced “the opportunity for some peace” in Russia's war with Ukraine.
He emphasized that the call also served as a reminder that Russia should refrain from getting involved in the Iran conflict, adding, “as it pertains to this conflict, they should not be involved.”
Despite Washington’s warnings, Russia has signaled that it is siding with Tehran. On March 7, Russia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrei Kelin, told Sky News that Moscow does not consider itself a neutral party in the Middle East crisis. Kelin criticized Western governments for what he described as a biased interpretation of the conflict, framing Iran's actions as purely defensive.
“We are very negative about what is happening. Western countries now follow the logic that Iran is guilty of everything,” Kelin said. “But nobody says that the United States and Israel started the attack on Iran. And Iran is only responding to this attack. This is simply unfair.”
The ambassador’s remarks represent the clearest public acknowledgment yet that the Kremlin is politically and diplomatically aligned with Tehran. This alignment has already manifested in reports that Russia is providing Iran with real-time intelligence on the location of American warships and aircraft to assist in targeting.
Kelin also stated that the primary focus should be on an immediate halt to the fighting and a return to diplomatic talks, emphasizing that the conflict should be settled through political dialogue instead of further military escalation.
Earlier, European Council President António Costa claimed that Russia is the sole beneficiary of the ongoing war in Iran.
“At this moment, there is only one winner in this war—Russia,” Costa stated. “By continuously weakening Ukraine’s position and ignoring international law, Russia is profiting from the surge in energy prices, gaining new resources to fund its war against Ukraine.”
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