Russia warned Israel against its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, saying it puts the world on the "brink of a catastrophe". Israel has struck nuclear facilities across Iran, including at Bushehr, Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak. It accuses Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes.

The head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation warned on Thursday that an Israeli attack on Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant could lead to a "Chernobyl-style catastrophe".

Leaning into pro-Palestinian and anti-Western sentiment allowed Russia to score points with global public opinion. But dynamics that initially seemed to benefit Russia quickly became a strategic headache.