'Catastrophic': US planning tactical nuclear weapon attack on Iran? Here's what Russia said about it

Amid speculative reports that the US defence officials were possibly considering a tactical nuclear weapon attack on Iran, Russia has warned the administration of US President Donald Trump against it, warning it could be catastrophic. Russia retains a close relationship with Iran. The comments from the Kremlin came as the US is reportedly poised to intervene in the raging Israel-Iran war.

Will Trump enter the Iran-Israel war?

Trump has been ambivalent about a US intervention in the war. Reports said he has held meetings with military leaders on America's options. As per the White House, Trump is giving two weeks for the two nations to resolve the conflict. Trump himself hinted on Thursday (June 19) that a decision on US involvement could be taken in two weeks.

What did Russia say about US potential use of tactical nuclear weapons on Iran?

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that it would be a “catastrophic development” if the US uses tactical nuclear weapons against Iran, the Russian TASS news agency reported on Friday.

Western media reports had suggested earlier that such a US attack would target Iran's secretive underground nuclear facility in Fordow.

Peskov's remarks referred to these media, without mentioning any specific report.

Underground Furdow nuclear facility to be US target?

Earlier, the British newspaper The Guardian had reported on briefings in the US about the Fordow nuclear facility. This is Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility. The US defence officials were briefed that Furdow can't be destroyed using conventional bombs.

According to the report, the officials were briefed that initial attacks with conventional bombs, followed by a tactical nuclear weapon dropped from a B2 bomber, could be the alternative.

However, the UK paper also said Trump was not keen on using a tactical nuclear weapon on Fordow.

What is a tactical nuclear weapon? Which are the main US TNWs?

Tactical nuclear weapons or TNWs, also known as non-strategic nuclear weapons, are designed to be smaller than the usual nuclear bombs. It is to be noted that tactical nuclear weapons have never been used in combat.

The US has the B61 series of gravity bombs. These TNWs - named B61-3, B61-4, and B61-10- have yields of between 0.3 and 170 kilotons. They can be delivered by fighter jets like F16 and F35.

According to the think tank Arms Control Center, the current US tactical nuclear arsenal includes nearly 230 B61 gravity bombs of the B61-3 and B61-4 versions.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments in the Israel-Iran conflict. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.