Khamenei Begs Putin for Backup After Trump Flattens Iran’s Nuclear Program

Just days after President Donald Trump ordered a devastating military strike that shredded Iran’s nuclear facilities, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now desperately turning to Russian President Vladimir Putin for support a move that highlights just how deep the panic runs in Tehran.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi showed up in Moscow carrying a personal letter from Khamenei himself, pleading for assistance. Senior diplomatic sources revealed the letter asked Putin to step up Russia’s support for Iran against the United States and Israel, though the nature of the aid requested remains unclear. One thing is certain: Iran is reeling.

The strike authorized by Trump over the weekend obliterated the nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called it an “overwhelming success,” stating Iran’s nuclear program was “devastated.”

Key context and developments:

• Fordo facility: Hit by bunker busters, reportedly “severely damaged possibly destroyed,” according to satellite analysis.

• Isfahan plant: Slammed by more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, with sources calling it “annihilated.”

• Natanz: Likely reduced to rubble with a precision strike from a B‑2 bomber.

Putin met with the Iranian envoy on Monday, issuing carefully worded condemnations of the U.S. strike but offering little in terms of real help. “The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification,” he said, while failing to commit to any form of retaliation or even material aid.

Despite Russia and Iran signing a 20-year strategic partnership just last year which includes military cooperation and joint exercises there is no clause obligating Moscow to defend Tehran. Translation: Iran is on its own.

Putin, still bogged down in Ukraine and wary of further antagonizing the U.S., appears to be playing both sides. He maintained communication with Israeli leaders and reportedly received assurances that Russian workers at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant would be unharmed.

Russia’s ambiguous stance didn’t stop it from joining China and Pakistan at the U.N. Security Council on Sunday in a bid for an immediate ceasefire. But even that was laced with anti-American bluster rather than genuine commitment. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia went as far as comparing the current situation to the Iraq War’s infamous intelligence debacle an attempt to score points without offering real solutions.

For Iran, the message from Trump is unmistakable: If you pursue nuclear weapons and threaten regional stability, you will face the consequences. Meanwhile, Tehran’s allies are proving to be more talk than action. The mullahs gambled on international backing they lost.

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