Kremlin Urges Restraint as Trump Threatens New Iran Strikes in Final Hours of 2025

Washington/Moscow (Dec. 30, 2025) — With less than 48 hours remaining in the year, the prospect of renewed U.S. military action against Iran has intensified, prompting an urgent call for de-escalation from the Kremlin. The diplomatic flare-up follows explicit threats made by President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, drastically altering the region's risk profile as the 2026 timeline approaches.

The Kremlin’s statement, issued Tuesday, urges all parties to "refrain from escalation"—a direct response to President Trump’s warning that the United States is prepared to "knock the hell out of" Iranian assets if intelligence regarding a reconstituted nuclear program is confirmed.

A 'Sequel' to June: The Kinetic Risk The current tensions are a direct continuation of the events of June 2025, when U.S. forces conducted a 12-day air campaign targeting Iranian enrichment sites. At the time, the administration declared Iran’s nuclear capabilities "completely and fully obliterated."

However, during a Dec. 29 summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump addressed fresh intelligence suggesting Tehran has utilized the post-June calm to rebuild infrastructure.

"If they try to bring it back, the consequences will be more powerful than the last time," Trump told reporters, indicating that authorization for support of Israeli strikes or direct U.S. intervention could be "immediate" if violations are verified.

This rhetoric effectively extinguishes near-term expectations for a U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement or a direct meeting between President Trump and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Instead, it raises the immediate probability of a second wave of U.S. strikes on Iranian soil before the new year.

Regime Stability in the Crosshairs The potential for a second strike raises critical questions regarding the stability of the Islamic Republic’s ruling structures. While the regime survived the June campaign intact, a renewed and intensified assault—as threatened by Trump—could test the government's hold on power in ways the limited engagement six months ago did not.

The Gaza Connection Moscow’s intervention highlights the broader strategic stakes. The Kremlin views a renewed U.S.-Iran confrontation as a fatal threat to regional stability, particularly as the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire enters a critical transition to "Phase Two."

According to the backgrounder provided on the summit, Prime Minister Netanyahu presented the intelligence on Iran’s nuclear activities specifically while discussing this fragile ceasefire. The convergence of these issues suggests that the window for a peaceful transition into 2026 is closing, with the U.S. signaling firmly that military options remain on the table through New Year’s Eve.