Russia has sounded an alarm to the United States following reports that the Trump administration is allegedly planning to target Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since June 13, Israel has been conducting operations in Tehran, Iran’s capital, without direct involvement from the United States.
In response, Iran has launched its own missile attacks, with some managing to penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome defenses in Tel Aviv.
On Friday, June 20, Israel experienced another wave of Iranian attacks after an incident earlier in the week where a hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, was struck. Iranian state media, however, claim the missile strike was aimed at a military site adjacent to the hospital rather than the hospital itself.
Earlier this week, when asked whether the US might intervene by launching missiles at Iran, Donald Trump gave a non-committal response.
“I may do it, I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m gonna do,” Trump stated, according to Garrett Haake.
Trump mentioned that a decision regarding whether America will assist Israel will be made within two weeks, while on social media, he speculated about the potential assassination of Iranian leader Khamenei.
In light of Trump’s ambiguous remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has issued a caution to the United States.
Peskov told Sky News: “The situation is extremely tense and is dangerous not only for the region but globally.
“An enlargement of the composition of the participants of the conflict is potentially even more dangerous. It will lead only to another circle of confrontation and escalation of tension in the region.”
Russia and Iran maintain strong relations, having entered into a strategic partnership in January.
Peskov emphasized: “[Regime change in Iran] is unimaginable. It should be unacceptable, even talking about that should be unacceptable for everyone.”
The Kremlin spokesperson did not specify what actions Russia might take if the Iranian leader were to be killed, but he did comment on the potential repercussions within Iran.
“It would lead to the birth of extremist moods inside Iran and those who are speaking about [killing Khamenei], they should keep it in mind. They will open the Pandora’s box,” Peskov stated to Sky News.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has been unsuccessful in his attempts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, despite conducting peace talks with both parties.
Peskov concluded: “Now we have a strategic advantage. Why should we lose it? We are not going to lose it. We are going further. We’re advancing and we’ll continue to advance.”