Middle-East Conflict: Russian President Putin Meets Iranian FM Araghchi Amid Rising Tensions

A day after the US's airstrikes on Iran's three nuclear sites, Russian President and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a meeting in Moscow.

Photo Credit: @araghchi (L), IANS (R)

Israel-Iran Conflict: Tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate a day after the US carried out air assaults on three Iranian nuclear facilities — Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz — under its Operation “Midnight Hammer.” Amid the conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This also comes a day after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in a series of posts on X, claimed that several nations are ready to "directly supply" Iran with nuclear warheads. 

#BreakingNews | ईरान-इजरायल जंग के बीच पुतिन-ईरानी वदेश मंत्री की मुलाकात, पुतिन से विदेश मंत्री अब्बास मिले #IsraelIranConflict #IsraelIranWar @ShobhnaYadava pic.twitter.com/amDVPKSs1K

— Zee News (@ZeeNews) June 23, 2025

Israel-Iran Conflict

The conflict between the two West Asian countries began when Israel, on June 13, launched preemptive strikes against Iran and struck the latter's nuclear sites under 'Operation Rising Lion'. Following this, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

Operation Midnight Hammer 

After the US's airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said Operation Midnight Hammer was designed to "severely degrade Iran's nuclear weapons infrastructure."

Dan Caine said this while holding a Sunday press briefing at the Pentagon, as per ANI.

"At approximately 6:40 PM EST, 2:10 am Iran time, the lead B-2 two dropped GBU 57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordo," he said.

"As the President stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 PM and 7:05 PM EST (2:10 AM local time Iran) with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure we retain the element of surprise throughout the operation," he added.

Further, Caine stated that "at midnight Friday and Saturday morning, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of the plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa."

Earlier on Sunday, Trump said the "very successful" strikes had hit the Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan underground nuclear sites in Iran.

(with ANI inputs)