Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
That’s something coming from the country, who is now in it’s fifth year of a “10-day-war” …
Russia’s foreign minister says Washington and Jerusalem underestimated Iran’s resilience after launching military action against the country, The Kyiv Independent reports.
Sergei Lavrov argued that early expectations of a rapid victory were misplaced, suggesting both governments are now realizing the scale of their miscalculation.
Lavrov made the comments on March 16 as Moscow continues to defend Tehran while criticizing Western military operations in the region.
During a press conference, Lavrov said U.S. and Israeli planners believed Iran could be subdued quickly. “If they thought they could subjugate (Iran) in a day or a few hours, they probably realize now just how seriously they miscalculated, how wrong they were,” he said according to The Kyiv Independent.
His remarks come as Russia positions itself as a diplomatic backer of Iran amid escalating tensions involving Washington and its allies.
Echoes of past wars
Lavrov’s criticism has also drawn comparisons to Russia’s own expectations at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
When Moscow launched its full-scale assault in February 2022, many Russian officials and pro-Kremlin commentators predicted that Ukrainian resistance would collapse rapidly.
Among them was Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan, who said in 2021: “In a war, we’ll defeat Ukraine in two days.”
The statement later became emblematic of Russia’s misjudgment of Ukraine’s ability to resist.
War without end
By February 2026, Russia’s campaign in Ukraine had entered its fifth year with no clear path to victory.
Despite the prolonged conflict, the Kremlin has strongly condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as an unjustified act of aggression.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has also warned that military action against Iran would not remain unanswered.
Sources: Reuters, AP, BBC, The Kyiv Independent, Breakingthenews
