Recent large-scale U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have sparked fierce backlash from Russia (yep, the one that continues to invade Ukraine). The country has condemned the attacks as “irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative” and warned they could trigger a worldwide “nuclear catastrophe.” This strong criticism comes after “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a U.S. military campaign on June 22 that hit Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. During an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, Russia’s representative Vassily Nebenzia issued a grim warning, saying the U.S. had effectively “opened Pandora’s box” with its latest actions. This phrase basically means there’s a risk of unpredictable and devastating consequences that could shake global security. As found by Fox, the Russian official stressed that the Middle East is now on the edge of a major conflict, one that could spiral out of control and push the world toward nuclear disaster. This was all to help a regime change, supposedly. Russia is not happy about the Iranian missile strike from US “Operation Midnight Hammer” focused on key parts of Iran’s nuclear program. The Fordow site, known for being heavily fortified and built underground, was hit by stealth B-2 bombers. The use of these advanced planes showed the U.S. intended to destroy deeply buried targets. At the same time, cruise missiles struck the Isfahan nuclear facility, damaging buildings linked to uranium conversion. Tunnel entrances, believed to store enriched nuclear material, were also hit. The Natanz enrichment site was targeted as well, with ground-penetrating bombs aimed at its Fuel Enrichment Plant to cripple a crucial part of Iran’s nuclear efforts. Another footage of US military bombing Iranian nuclear program #Iran https://t.co/A9yP6KPo5A pic.twitter.com/hEfXUh6zgK— Inside the conflict (@Muhamma22474285) June 22, 2025 Nebenzia said Russia “vehemently condemns the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions taken by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a sovereign country and a U.N. member state… Through its actions, the U.S. has opened Pandora’s box, and no one knows what new consequences this may lead to. I think it is obvious to everyone in this chamber that unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the brink of a large-scale conflict, which is fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security architecture. And the whole world could find itself on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe.” Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said “very significant damage is expected” at Fordow due to the powerful bombs used and the fact that centrifuges are highly sensitive to vibrations. At Isfahan, multiple buildings tied to uranium processing were struck, and tunnel entrances possibly holding enriched material were damaged. The Natanz plant was confirmed to have been hit. Despite the heavy strikes, Iran told the IAEA that no rise in radiation was detected outside the three sites after the attack. Russia’s criticism of the U.S. went beyond just opposing military action. Moscow accused the Trump administration of ignoring the possible “radiological consequences” of the bombings, showing no concern for the danger to civilians, including women and children, both nearby and farther away. This suggests that humanitarian considerations were overlooked in planning the operation. Russia also repeated its stance that diplomacy should be the priority. The Russian envoy claimed that U.S. leaders are not focusing on peaceful solutions and insisted that America bears full responsibility for the current crisis and what happens next.