'Trump will deal with it': US Ambassador Mike Waltz puts Russia on notice over Iran aid claims

WASHINGTON, DC: US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that the United States would respond if Russia were found to be assisting Iran in the ongoing conflict.

Speaking on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, March 8, Waltz addressed reports that Moscow might be sharing intelligence with Tehran about US military positions in the Middle East. “I have no doubt President Donald Trump will deal with it accordingly,” Waltz said.

When asked whether Russia had effectively entered the conflict, Waltz said the two countries had long maintained close ties. 

“We know that both Russia and Iran have had this symbiotic relationship,” he said.

US says Iran's military suffering heavy losses

Waltz downplayed the potential impact of any Russian assistance, arguing that Iran’s forces had already suffered major setbacks.

“If they are providing anything, it certainly hasn’t been very effective,” he said. “The US military is decimating Iran’s air force, air defenses, navy, ground forces, command and control.”

He added that any support Moscow might be offering had not significantly improved Tehran’s battlefield position.

Iran rejects calls for ceasefire or surrender 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying Iran must continue fighting in response to US and Israeli attacks.

“They are killing our people, they are killing girl students, they are attacking hospitals,” Araghchi said during the same NBC program.

He argued that the United States and Israel had already broken the ceasefire that ended last year’s 12-day war. “And now you want to ask for a ceasefire again? This doesn’t work like this,” he said.

Araghchi said Iran would only consider ending hostilities if there were a permanent end to the war. “Unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security,” he added.

Tight-lipped on Russian intelligence sharing

NBC News reported on Friday, citing four sources, that Russia had been providing Iran with intelligence on the location of US forces in the Middle East, including information that could help locate American warships.

Pressed on the issue, Araghchi acknowledged that cooperation between Tehran and Moscow was longstanding but declined to confirm the intelligence-sharing claims.

“Cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new, it’s not a secret,” he said. “They are helping us in many different directions. I don’t have any detailed information,” he added. 

Araghchi also warned that any deployment of US ground troops into Iran would trigger a fierce response.

“We have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil, to fight with them and to kill them and destroy them,” he said.

Trump argued that the conflict was necessary because Iran was close to developing missiles capable of reaching the United States. Araghchi dismissed that claim as misinformation.

“Iran has the capability to produce missiles,” he said. “But we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000 kilometers of range because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world,” he added.