Iran decided to punish US aggressors; won't accept imposed peace: Def. Min

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh made the remarks during a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Andrey Belousov, on Monday, a day after the US attacked three peaceful nuclear facilities in the north-central and central parts of Iran.

In response, Iranian armed forces on Monday launched a missile barrage against the Al Udeid base in Qatar, which serves as the headquarters of the US Air Force Command and represents the most strategic asset of the American military in the West Asia region.

The armed forces described the response as a powerful and devastating missile strike, considering it to be a "clear and direct” message aimed at the White House and its allies that the Islamic Republic would “never leave any violation of its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered.”

Nasirzadeh described the US as the root of instability across the region, urging enhanced cooperation between Iran and Russia to create a counterbalance

“We can work together for peace and stability in the region and the world,” he stated.

The minister called the Israeli regime a key instrument of regional destabilization, denouncing the support the US and its allied states have been providing to the Zionist entity to stir up regional chaos.

"What is clear is that we are not only fighting the Zionist regime; the United States and some other countries also support this regime,” the defense minister told his Russian counterpart.

Fo his part, Russian defense minister blasted the false claims levelled by Washington to try to justify the aggression, such as "divertion" of Tehran's nuclear activities towards "military purposes" – a claim that has never been corroborated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), despite its most intrusive inspections in Iran.

Belousov said the claim was no more than an "excuse" concocted by Washington to pave the way for the aggression.

"The attack on Iranian territory under the pretext of nuclear issues is nothing but an excuse; they seek to weaken the Islamic Republic and to spread this turmoil throughout the region," he said.

"Russia is closely monitoring all developments and will support the Islamic Republic.”

Meanwhile, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov in remarks on Monday reaffirmed his country's support for the Islamic Republic.

"We have strongly condemned the actions of Israel and the United States," he noted, referring to Moscow's official denunciation of the American attacks and Israeli aggression that targeted various locations, leading to the assassination of many high-ranking commanders, nuclear scientists and ordinary civilians.

“We are working closely with our Iranian partners and have begun drafting a United Nations Security Council resolution in condemnation of the atrocities,” Ryabkov noted.