Donald Trump has fired back at Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and an ally of Vladimir Putin, for saying the United States president “has pushed the US into another war” and that countries are “ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.”

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination?

“If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The ‘N word’ should not be treated so casually. I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS.'”

Why It Matters

Trump’s post came after Medvedev accused the U.S. of significantly escalating the conflict between Israel and Iran with its strikes on nuclear facilities over the weekend. Russian officials have repeatedly raised concerns about escalation and the potential for nuclear fallout.

What To Know

Trump’s Truth Social post about Medvedev on Monday followed a reported Telegram post by the former Russian president, who is now the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council.

In the post, Medvedev said the U.S. had been pushed into another war by Trump, and that other countries were “ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.” He added that the production of nuclear weapons would continue, despite the strikes on three nuclear sites across the Persian Gulf nation: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Medvedev also specifically called out Trump, who had run for president on the promise of bringing peace to the Middle East, saying that the U.S. president could “forget about the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Trump’s response included an apparent dig at Medvedev not being Russia’s president anymore, with the line saying, “I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS.'”

Putin has also criticized the move by the U.S., however, calling it an “unprovoked aggression” in comments Monday morning. Other Russian officials have also spoken out in support of Iran and against the U.S. ally, Israel, for its actions against Palestinians.

Trump is also facing criticism at home, both from Democrats and from within his own party, but he has insisted that the strikes were a “spectacular military success.”

What People Are Saying

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov, on Monday, on the situation in the Middle East possibly interfering with dialogue between Russia and the United States: “These are different areas. We have our partnership relations, a strategic partnership with Iran, but we are also working on restoring our relations with the United States. Both are very important areas.

“And our dialogue with the Americans also depends, so to speak, on the possibility of reaching a settlement in many other areas. Therefore, it is unlikely that anything will interfere, one will interfere with the other.”

President Putin, per the Tass news agency: “This is an absolutely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification.”

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, in a statement: “Stopping Iran from having a nuclear bomb is a top priority, but dragging the U.S. into another Middle East war is not the solution. Trump’s strikes are unconstitutional and put Americans, especially our troops, at risk. Congress needs to come back to DC immediately to vote on Rep. Thomas Massie and my bipartisan War Powers Resolution to ensure there is no further conflict and escalation. Americans want diplomacy, not more costly wars. We need to deescalate and pursue a path of peace.”

What Happens Next

Iran has made a direct appeal to Putin for help, with talks taking place in Moscow on Monday.