Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Sunday, Russia stated that it “strongly condemned” the US’s bombings of nuclear sites in Iran, labeling the attacks “irresponsible” and a “gross violation of international law”.
As reported by The Guardian, In a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, it stated:
“The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the UN Security Council.”
“It is already clear that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security,”
the Russian foreign ministry also said.
“We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track,”
the statement further added.
On the other hand, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, is due to travel to Russia on Sunday.
“Russia is an essential part of the nuclear negotiations, and we coordinate positions with it,”
Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul after the US attacked three nuclear facilities in his country. He also said that the Iranian army is on “high alert” and pledged that there will be a
response.
Previously, Araghchi underlined that Iran
“reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people.”
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cautioned that the US will meet a “severe response.”
US President Donald Trump announced the military strikes on three nuclear sites as a major military victory, stating that the facilities were completely ruined in a speech from the White House on Saturday evening. Trump also warned Iran that the US could hit more sites if Tehran doesn’t make a truce.
What weapons did America employ in the attack?
US media outlets reported that the US military used “bunker buster” bombs and navy submarines launched multiple cruise missiles in the strikes. American B-2 bombers were also involved, and sources indicated that the US deployed a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb, marking its first known operational use.
How powerful is the US bunker buster bomb?
At nearly 13,000kg, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is the US military’s most powerful bunker buster bomb. It can penetrate up to 18 metres of concrete or 61 metres of earth, depths that a conventional bomb can’t match.
How deep can the GBU-57 penetrate underground sites?
Right now, the B-2 Spirit, a US stealth bomber, is the only plane built to carry the GBU-57. It can hold two bunker buster bombs at a time, and the air force says it can drop multiple bombs in a row, allowing each strike to penetrate deeper.
According to military experts, the US employed bunker buster bombs in its attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities because they are intended to reach deep underground and destroy deeply buried and heavily fortified targets, like the Fordow enrichment site, which is located inside a mountain and protected by layers of concrete and rock.
