Putin: US attack on Iran would be ‘catastrophe’

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warns that a US military attack against Iran would be catastrophic as tensions mount between Washington and Tehran.

Speaking on Thursday during a televised call-in show, Putin said potential US military action against Iran would be a “catastrophe for the region as a minimum.”

He added that it would trigger an escalation of hostilities with unpredictable results.

The United States has been escalating tensions with Iran under President Donald Trump. Leading a signature policy of  “maximum pressure,” the US quit a UN-ratified nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. It then proceeded to restore the sanctions that had been lifted under the deal.

Putin, however, reminded that Tehran was in full compliance with the agreement -- something that has been verified by the UN nuclear agency -- the International Atomic Energy Agency -- in 15 reports. The Russian head of state also called the sanctions against Iran “unreasonable.”

Putin’s warning was also echoed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who asked Washington to stop the buildup “before it’s too late” or the situation would spiral out of control.

“We have no doubts that the US political and military leadership is not stopping at any actions whatsoever in order to maximally complicate the situation and, most importantly, increase pressure on Iran,” he told Russia’s TASS news agency.

A new conflict, however, is "completely inadmissible, considering the grave consequences of such a scenario," Ryabkov added.

SS