“Why is it OK for Tel Aviv but not OK for Tehran?” Medvedev asked, suggesting that Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal remains untouched and never questioned, while Iran is routinely targeted, but it is not known if they have any nuclear weapons.
He proposed what was once called the “zero option”, a mutual disarmament of nuclear capabilities under the supervision of the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“Let them both abandon such programs,” Medvedev wrote. “They will refuse, of course. And no strikes will help, 100%,” he added, arguing that Iran sees its nuclear program as essential to its survival, which the west thinks is a threat.
The former Russian leader, who is also the current Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council, also suggested that any attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, whether by Israel or the United States, could provoke a severe response. “If it does have nuclear weapons, [Iran] will definitely use them. And if not, it will rebuild this program at any cost,” he warned.
Medvedev’s current stance stands in contrast to actions taken during his own presidency (2008–2012), when Russia aligned itself with international efforts to pressure and sanction Iran over its nuclear ambitions. In June 2010, following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929, Medvedev signed a decree that banned Iranian investments in Russia’s uranium production and nuclear sectors. The measure was part of a package of sanctions intended to push Iran toward compliance with international nuclear agreements.
Russia also suspended selling S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran as part of that decree. This advanced defense platform had been part of a previous agreement between the two nations. The move was seen as a significant gesture of Russia’s support for the UN-led sanctions regime at the time.
