Russia warns US war could backfire by spurring Iran and Arab nations to seek nuclear weapons

Dawn Pakistan ^ | 3rd March 2026

[Cronos]

Russia has warned that the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran could result in the very outcome they were seeking to prevent, by spurring both Iran and its Arab neighbours to seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the logical consequence would be that “forces will emerge in Iran … in favour of doing exactly what the Americans want to avoid acquiring a nuclear bomb. Because the US doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs”.

Lavrov told a press conference that Arab countries could also join the race to build a bomb. The risk was now growing that “the nuclear proliferation problem will begin to spiral out of control”, he warned.

He said Moscow had still seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely seen as the region’s only nuclear-armed state, which it neither confirms nor denies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a press conference following talks with Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Erywan Yusof in Moscow, Russia on March 3, 2026. — Reuters

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; War; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: hypocrisy; putinthewarpig; russiansuicide; sergeilavrov; vladtheimploder

[Skwor]

Blah blah blah

Most of them would if they ever get the chance regardless of what we do.

Specious argument meant for political idiots like libs

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Another drunk Russian who doesn't make sense.

Hey Boris, what the hell do you think Iran was already doing?

[TheThirdRuffian]

As opposed to what Iran had already been doing.

The fact that this guy remotely thought we’d fall for such a stupid line tells me he’s an end-state alcoholic.

[JusPasenThru]

Wernicke-Korsakov.

[Abathar]

Iran working towards nukes was most of the reason the rest of them felt they would need them.

Ivan here is just spouting B.S. for the dumbest and gullible of the people who will read it. This statement is probably #221 of his list of trial balloons being floated up by whatever office of official propaganda decided to order him to make this statement.

[DIRTYSECRET]

And Poland?

[yldstrk]

Russia, that is rich.

[South Dakota]

You mean Russia will be giving some more of our uranium to other mad Mullah’s in the region

[alexander_busek]

U.S. warns Russian invasion of Ukraine could backfire by spurring E. European nations to seek nuclear weapons

Regards,

[SpaceBar]

Russia is an example of a negative sounding board.

Whatever they say, the opposite is true.

[redfreedom]

This is so doubtful. Iran’s military and leadership is being reduced to zero as we chat here on FR. Add to that the fact that Iran has struck other nations, many of which are Arab: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Cyprus & Lebanon. And of course they are attacking Israel. (my sources are Chatgpt and Duckai.

If any of these nations seek nukes, it’s not because Iran is being bombed, it’s because Iran is targeting them. The loonish war mongers of Iran seem to be attacking just about anyone within range of their missiles. With that strategy they cannot win.

[spincaster]

Just shut up! You can’t even win a war against a country smaller than Texas, that is on your own boarder . You are just a shell of your former selves. Why don’t you start trying to improve life for your people and stop being a bunch of back ally mobsters ?

[alancarp]

Almost all of the Arab nations are concentrated on oil profits and building outrageous construction projects. They buy weapons from us when they think they need them and a nuclear program would only tear down (probably literally) everything they’ve been doing over the past 40-50 years.

Yes, he’s blathering and trying to come up with some way to criticize the US after his own country hand-picked the worst possible allies on the planet in Iran and North Korea.

[Flavious_Maximus]

Would Russia have attacked Ukraine if Z had nuclear weapons?

At one time, the Ukes had the 3rd largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. They gave them up in 1996 under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

[Pete Dovgan]

Iran and Arab nations already have or are already seeking nuclear weapons. After Russia supplied China, N Korea, Pakistan, and was supporting Iran, it’s obvious that this ‘angle’ is absent or reason.

[bert]

Russia in now irrelevant

Lavrov is futilely trying to be part of what matters by using the word Nuclear

He is a joke

[Brian Griffin]

“At one time, the Ukes had the 3rd largest arsenal of nuclear weapons.”

Imagine if Nebraska declared independence and a delegation from Lincoln showed up at an USAF base to get Nebraska’s nuclear bombs.

[noiseman]

The only thing that has in the past caused certain Arab nations, primarily Saudi Arabia, to contemplate obtaining nukes was the belligerence of the mullahs in Iran. If we take Lavrov’s argument at face value, then it actually becomes an argument in favor of eliminating the Islamic regime in Iran and replacing it with some form of democracy. THAT outcome is the best way to prevent other Middle Eastern countries from desiring nuclear weapons.

He has it exactly backwards, but then he’s not really concerned about nuclear proliferation, only preventing Russia’s client state from slipping from their grip.

[tlozo]

Imagine if Nebraska declared independence

Nebraska was never a recognized country. Ukraine, on the other hand has had a seat in the UN since 1945.