U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sharply criticized Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev for suggesting that third-party countries could provide Iran with nuclear weapons.
Medvedev, who previously served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012, claimed that the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Sunday had failed to cripple Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure or deter its ambitions.
“A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads,” Medvedev wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that the strikes would only strengthen the Iranian regime. He also mocked Trump’s prospects for a Nobel Peace Prize, ending his post with a sarcastic, “Congratulations!”
Trump fired back on his Truth Social platform, accusing Medvedev of dangerously casual rhetoric.
“Did I hear former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and others would supply warheads to Iran?” Trump wrote. “The ‘N word’ should never be used so loosely. Maybe that’s why Putin’s THE BOSS.”
Later that day, Medvedev attempted to clarify his comments, saying Russia had no plans to provide nuclear weapons to Iran and remained committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
“Russia has no intention to do this—but other countries might. That’s the point,” Medvedev wrote in a follow-up post. “The real question is: what happens next?”
When asked about the exchange on Tuesday, the Kremlin publicly supported Medvedev’s stance.
“Dmitry Anatolyevich expresses his views firmly and consistently. For us, his opinion carries more weight than any others,” said a Kremlin spokesperson.
Medvedev has taken an increasingly hawkish tone since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, frequently using his public platforms to issue nuclear threats aimed at the West.
