US could face 'bloodbath' if it launches ground operation against Iran — expert

US-Israeli strikes on IranUS could face 'bloodbath' if it launches ground operation against Iran — expert Mikhail Margelov said there can be a lot of scenariosMOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. Iran could greet American troops with "a bloodbath" if US President Donald Trump decides to launch a ground operation, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) Vice President Mikhail Margelov said in an interview with TASS. "Iran’s traditional Shia culture places special respect on martyrs, so the Iranian could undoubtedly greet the US army with a bloodbath. The worship of martyrs, which is part of both Persian and Shia cultures, cannot be ignored," he noted. Asked about possible scenarios for a US military invasion of Iran, the RIAC vice president said that "there can be a lot of scenarios." "One thing I know for sure is that the strange war waged by the Board of Peace has the Iranian nation rallying around the flag. Society has been consolidated to a certain extent, and it’s now perfectly clear that part of the public has abandoned its protest sentiment," Margelov added. Earlier, Trump did not rule out a ground operation against Iran. He said one option would be for US commandos to seize Iran's Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, which hosts key oil processing facilities. TagsForeign policyMilitary operation in UkraineUkrainian drone attack kills civilian in CrimeaRegional head Sergey Aksyonov urged residents of Crimea to stay calm and vigilantRead moreWorld's first stratospheric platform successfully launched in ArcticResults of the platform's launch will be used for improving communications quality along the Northern Sea RouteRead moreJapan expresses protest to North Korea over launch of ballistic missileDefense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said that Japan, together with the US and the Republic of Korea, is currently continuing to analyze information related to North Korea's missile launchRead moreUS Department of Energy raises Brent oil price outlook to $86.81 in 2026The authority expects "most production" to recover by early 2027Read moreRussian rhythmic gymnasts return to World Championships after five seasonsThe national team will compete in Frankfurt am MainRead moreSiding with West in conflict with Russia unacceptable for Serbs — politicianMilos Jovanovic explained that the reason was that the West positioned itself as an enemy of Serbia and the people of SerbiaRead moreRomania's MFA provides no evidence of Russia's involvement in UAV incidents — embassyThe Russian diplomatic mission stated that the officials "were shown pieces of styrofoam" during the meeting with ministry representativesRead moreHouthis attack Tihama again during rescue operationOne member of the rescue team was injuredRead moreRussia to create national database of genetic resources — PutinThe president pointed out that the database was expected to receive about 10 petabytes of data annuallyRead moreUS expert views Gilman’s release as step towards de-escalation ahead of Witkoff’s visitAccording to Gilbert Doctorow, the move also could be aimed at de-escalation between Russia and NATORead morePress Review: EU seeks to prolong Ukraine conflict and NATO prepares Arctic opsTop stories from the Russian press on Monday, August 8thRead moreIf Russian gymnasts win at World Cup, 2024 Olympic Games anthem to be playedThe World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships will be held from August 12 to 16 in Frankfurt am MainRead moreWitkoff says he is meeting released American Gilman in United StatesThe US president's special envoy thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for granting the pardon and for "his personal engagement throughout this process"Read moreFBI refrains from commenting on US national Gilman’s releaseThe press service of the US Department of State, the White House, and the Department of Justice have not yet responded to TASS’ inquiryRead moreFormer Chinese official sentenced to death for taking $39 mln in bribesFrom 2009 to 2025, Long Xiang held senior posts in the government of Nanjing, the administrative center of the eastern province of JiangsuRead moreUS lawmaker Luna lauds Russia’s release of GilmanThe lawmaker noted the contribution of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy to the US President Steve Witkoff and "all parties involved"Read moreGerman FAZ journalist hit with petition demanding his dismissal for remarks about RussiansThe initiators believe that Michael Martens "crossed the boundaries of journalistic impartiality"Read moreItalian PM faces growing pressure over support for Ukraine — mediaAccording to the report, Giorgia Meloni is also "hardening her tone" on migrationRead moreGeorgia rules out restoring diplomatic ties with Russia — prime ministerAccording to Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgia’s objective with regard to Russia is a peaceful settlement of the conflictRead moreDeath toll in Houthi strike on Tihama rises to sixAnother 10 people were injuredRead moreRussia develops Darwin-D protective net to shield roads from UAV attacksThe net is designed to shield highways, major roads, and transportation arteries at least 12 meters wide from attacks by FPV drones and fixed-wing UAVsRead moreUS may launch ground operation against Iran by year-end — expertMikhail Margelov said Donald Trump will make decisions depending on how much Republicans loseRead moreUK seeks to ‘reboot’ high-level military contacts with Russia — The TimesAccording to the report, UK military chiefs fear an "unintended escalation" caused by the lack of dialogue with MoscowRead moreEU ready to do everything to prevent Russia from returning to international sports — SVRAccording to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, "so-called European elites are seriously concerned about the IOC's decision to remove all restrictions on the Russian Olympic Committee and Russian athletes"Read moreUS faces $13 billion in damage from Iranian strikes — newspaperIran has damaged or destroyed more than 42 US military aircraft, mostly large drones, but also fighter jetsRead moreIN BRIEF: Putin’s key statements on innovations, sovereignty, SKIFThe head of state noted that Russia has grown even stronger by expanding its technological capabilitiesRead moreEU uncertain who to pay for Kiev’s 90 bln euro loan — German MEPFabio De Masi accused the German government of irresponsibility for approving the loan to Ukraine without properly assessing the risks and consequences while "nothing has functioned in Germany for a long time."Read moreOver 40 Ukrainian drones taken down over Russian regions during dayRussian air defense systems intercepted Ukrainian UAVs over five Russian regionsRead moreCuba to embark on path of major change before end of Trump's presidential term — RubioThe head of the US foreign policy department did not disclose details of the changes he expectsRead moreRussia destroys Ukraine’s US-made Humvee vehicle in Donetsk regionAs a result of a single precision strike, the enemy armored vehicle caught fire and its fuel detonated, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedRead moreRussian Aerospace Forces strike Ukrainian targets in DPR, Kharkov, SumyThe Defense Ministry reported that Russian Aerospace Forces crews carried out airstrikes on the identified targets using FAB-250 aerial bombsRead moreTrump confirms release of US citizen Robert Gilman convicted in RussiaAccording to the US President, Robert Gilman will arrive in the United States early on Wednesday Moscow timeRead moreImplementation of US peace plan for Gaza de-facto stalled — Russia’s UN envoyVasily Nebenzya stated that the ceasefire was still being consistently violated, first of all by the Israeli sideRead moreEmbassy in Colombia receives no appeals from Russian citizens regarding earthquake — envoyNikolay Tavdumadze says embassy staff are in contact with the authorities to verify information about allegedly affected RussiansRead morePentagon contractors for Golden Dome complete their first tests — BloombergAs the agency notes, the program included testing data transmission from sensors to the interceptor, as well as demonstration of propulsion systemsRead moreTrump expresses his distrust of IranAt the same time, in the president's opinion, the US is in "a very good position" on the Iranian issueRead moreCENTCOM reports disabling ship that attempted to breach blockade on IranAccording to the US military, the vessel has ignored repeated warnings while en route to an Iranian port via the Gulf of OmanRead morePutin arrives in Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-SakhalinskThe Russian president will attend the final stage of the Pacific Fleet’s exercisesRead moreSouth Korea calls on North Korea to cease missile launchesThe presidential administration stated that the actions of Pyongyang "are a provocation that violates UN Security Council resolutions"Read moreVietnam plans to launch satellites in partnership with SpaceX in 2027The US company will deliver the Vietnamese satellites into orbit, while the Vietnamese company will be responsible "for the research, development, manufacturing and on-orbit operation of its satellites"Read moreGender transition surgeries in US to no longer be paid for by Medicaid insurance — TrumpAccording to the US president, dozens of US hospitals have ended "this so-called 'gender-affirming care'"Read moreRussian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brassBattlegroup North units took control of the settlement of Shcherbakovka in the Kharkov Region and Battlegroup East units liberated the settlement of Novoye Pole in the Zaporozhye RegionRead moreBattlegroup North UAV crews destroy over 10 Ukrainian UAV control centers near KharkovA Russian serviceman, call sign Svat, said the enemy is constantly attempting to strike the civilian population and civilian infrastructureRead moreDefeat in Kramatorsk to deal massive blow to Kiev — BildThe situation is getting worse day by day, and the frontline is moving closer to Ukrainian positionsRead moreRussia develops latest Fantom camouflage cape, concealing soldier’s silhouetteAt night, the cloak’s materials minimizes light reflection and glare and pronounced contrast to prevent detection by night-vision devicesRead moreSu-57 constitutes key element for achieving air superiority — Russia’s Air Force CommanderSergey Kobylash stated that during the special military operation, Russian aviation and aviation munitions "reached a qualitatively new level"Read moreUkrainians in Poland paying price for Kiev’s glorification of Nazism — Russian senatorAlexander Voloshin highlighted that the Ukrainian leadership had fostered the most radical forms of nationalism in Eastern Europe for many yearsRead moreRussia warns Ukraine against any provocations against Belarus — Russian diplomatMikhail Galuzin reiterated that the Agreement on Security Guarantees between Russia and Belarus implies "an obvious mechanism for joint response" to actions considered threats to a member of the Union StateRead more15 die, 75 missing after ferry capsized in ZimbabweSeventy-four people have been rescuedRead moreFive Colombian airports resume operations after earthquake, while two remain closedThe airports of the cities of Armenia, Buenaventura, Cali, Quibdo, and Manizales have resumed receiving commercial flightsRead moreFACTBOX: Bank of Russia lists Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies for public tradingAccording to the law, when selecting cryptocurrencies, their market capitalization, average daily trading volume, and pricing history on foreign exchanges are taken into accountRead moreSyrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia — TVThe court also sentenced Atef Najib, the former head of the political security directorate in the Syrian province of DaraaRead moreSwitzerland adds 45 entities, 9 individuals to anti-Russian sanctions list — TASSNine individuals have been blacklisted for the first time, including Rostec Executive Director Oleg YevtushenkoRead moreUS citizen Gilman released by Russia heads to hospital in Texas — activistsAccording to Global Reach, his family has flown to the state as wellRead moreChancellor Merz still least liked national politician for Germans — pollThe poll was conducted from August 7 to 10 and involved 2,010 respondentsRead moreBiden caused US munitions problems by aiding Kiev — TrumpAccording to the US leader, Joe Biden gave Kiev munitions worth $300 billion to UkraineRead moreRussia, China discuss easier travel between countries for citizens — Foreign MinistryThe parties confirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation in the consular fieldRead moreTrump says he would like to run for third term, but US laws very strictAccording to the US president, "everybody wants" him to do soRead moreWest Bank nearing point of no return — envoy to UNVasily Nebenzya called on Israel to abandon any unilateral steps, take effective measures to curb settler violence and immediately resume compliance with relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutionsRead moreUkrainian troops burn corpses of Colombian mercenaries with acid — war prisonerThe captured Ukrainian soldier added that he was guided to the position by a drone and was not provided with water or food, so he decided to surrenderRead moreArmed provocations in Transnistria to be regarded as attack on Russia — MFAMikhail Galuzin noted that Moscow assessed the risk of direct armed provocations by Kiev and Chisinau against Transnistria as lowRead moreEU can supply Ukraine with weapons purchased from US — TrumpThe US president reiterated that he does not give weapons to UkraineRead moreAircraft possibly carrying Gilman makes stopover in IrelandA source in EU air traffic control services said that Shannon Airport is often used to refuel aircraft before flying over the AtlanticRead moreUkrainian forces choose targets to sow fear, panic, but Russia shall win — expertYevgeny Poddubny emphasized that the most important thing for Russia right now is to prevailRead moreRussia’s defenses in Zaporozhye make Ukraine’s military 'hit brick wall' — military expertAccording to Andrey Marochko, the Russian army manages to hold back the enemy and advance on this directionRead moreSerbian politician questions necessity of Zelensky's visit to BelgradeIn Milos Jovanovic's words, the people of Serbia "feel sad for casualties inflicted by the conflict on the two Slavic peoples," and Belgrade should "maintain the best possible relationship with all countries, including UkraineRead moreGerman lawmaker calls on government to rein in financial aid to UkraineMarkus Frohnmaier recalled that since February 2022, Germany has allocated more than 100 billion euro in assistance to UkraineRead moreMoldovan authorities ignoring threats to world from Kiev regime — Russian embassyThe diplomatic mission called on Chisinau to refrain from further escalatory steps that prove to be harmful for Moldovan citizensRead moreHouthis say they attacked Saudi forces’ positions in YemenThe attack left "dozens killed and wounded, including Saudis," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree saysRead moreRussia to resort to measures in response to growing NATO presence in Finland — embassyAccording to a source in the embassy, Russia has repeatedly drawn attention to the detrimental consequences of this policy, and the diplomats are sure that Helsinki are aware of these signalsRead morePress review: NATO boosts Northern Europe presence as Israel blocks Gaza peace effortsTop stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, August 11thRead moreRussian strikes paralyze Ukraine’s southern power grid — officialYevgeny Poddubny said the damage to the energy infrastructure in the southern regions of Ukraine is of particular importanceRead moreDeath toll in Houthi strike on vessel rises to fourAnother four crew members were injuredRead moreKiev concerned over Russia’s Rassvet low-Earth orbit satellite constellationIn late March, Russia’s Bureau 1440 company successfully orbited the first 16 satellites of the Rassvet low-Earth orbit constellationRead moreRussian, Belarusian deputy foreign ministers discuss relations with Western organizationsMoscow and Minsk reaffirmed their commitment to further close coordination and joint efforts to defend common interests in the international arenaRead moreIN BRIEF: What we know about release of American Robert Gilman, convicted in RussiaRobert Gilman was detained in 2022 at the Voronezh railway station after being involved in a drunken brawl on the Sukhum-Moscow trainRead moreTwo suspected Russian drones found floating in Black Sea — Romanian defense ministerAccording to Romania’s acting Defense Minister Radu Miruta, the drones were spotted by a ship working in this area which called a coastal guard boatRead moreMoldova's return to cooperation with EAEU would be in its best interests — ex-presidentIgor Dodon recalled that during his presidency, Moldova had become the first country to be granted EAEU observer status in May 2018Read moreRosatom completes construction of Siberian Ring Photon Source compoundThe Siberian Ring Photon Source is a complex of 34 buildings, facilities, and engineering and technological equipment spanning approximately 90,000 square metersRead moreIN BRIEF: Russian SVR’s statements on EU visa restrictions, play against Russian athletesAccording to the Foreign Intelligence Service , the EU is considering introducing visa restrictions and new limitations with regards to athletes and Russian sports officialsRead moreRubio says Trump nominated him for Secretary of State without prior discussionThe US president called him and said he was going to be the secretary of state, the politician saidRead moreRussia preparing for G20 Ministerial Council in Atlanta at high level — Russian ambassadorAccording to Marat Berdyyev, negotiations on the final documents of the forum's activities this year have entered an active phase within the G20Read moreRussian Forces intercept rare Portuguese Tekever AR3 recon droneThe UAV has been transferred to a research institute, where specialists will study its design, technical specifications, and engineering solutionsRead moreControl of Shcherbakovka facilitates Russian troops advance to Kharkov — defense sourceAccording to the statement, the Russian troops’ active operations in the Kharkov Region are forcing the enemy to revise its combat plansRead moreRussian swimmer Kornev wins gold at 2026 European Aquatics ChampionshipsMaxime Grousset of France won silver and Grigori Pekarski of Belarus finished thirdRead moreRussian strikes destroy 80,000-100,000 sq m of refrigerated warehouses near Kiev — expertAccording to Alexander Bondarenko, the remaining facilities cover only 20-30% of the region’s needsRead moreRussian army is global military powerhouse — expertAccording to Hero of Russia Yevgeny Poddubny, Russia currently has the most combat-ready and powerful army in the worldRead moreMoldovan authorities stage provocative acts against Russian diplomats — embassyIn particular, the embassy's repeated requests to the Foreign Ministry of Moldova for assistance in returning the license plates, illegally seized from the diplomatic mission’s vehicle, still remain unansweredRead moreUS controls Strait of Hormuz, would strike Iran if it attempted to change that — TrumpThe US president clarified that the strait was under complete controlRead moreMorocco starts building four-meter-tall barrier near Ceuta amid new migration wave worriesAccording to the newspaper, the barrier is being built on the outskirts of the town of FnideqRead moreColombia's president thanks Putin for his words of support following earthquakeAbelardo de la Espriella said that the authorities were "addressing the consequences of the emergency and providing support to every affected family"Read moreSupreme Court rules to disqualify Yabloko party from parliamentary pollsThe Yabloko party has five days to appeal the rulingRead moreGagauzia head transferred to prison with conditions degrading to human dignity — lawyerSergiu Moraru says that in this prison there is often no water for two or three daysRead moreIran offers Turkmenistan to strengthen transport cooperation between Caspian Sea portsIran's ambassador to Turkmenistan Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani believes that the Caspian Sea can be considered as part of the common civilizational heritage of the regionRead moreMoscow’s relations with Beijing are stable, protected from int’l fluctuations — ambassadorAccording to Igor Morgulov, the stability of Russian-Chinese relations is ensured by principles of equality, non-interference into domestic affairs, mutual respect and due account of each other’s interestsRead moreJD Vance personally asks Kiev to stop strikes on CPC infrastructure — newspaperAccording to the Financial Times, the US vice president conveyed Washington’s request in a phone call with Vladimir Zelensky on July 31Read moreMissile launched by North Korea falls outside Japan's exclusive economic zone — KyodoA source in the country's Defense Ministry told the news agency that there was no information about damage to vessels in the regionRead moreTrump says Russia agreed to release Gilman without exchangeAccording to the US leader, the Russian president agreed to release Gilman on a humanitarian basisRead moreIN BRIEF: Latest Russian strike targets defense industry sites, logistic centersThe crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered strikes against Ukrainian temporary deployment sites and drone control centers in the DPR, the Kharkov and Sumy Regions, the Defense Ministry reportedRead moreRussia hopes West has common sense to prevent irreparable effects for Europe — MFARussian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin highlighted that the Joint Regional Group of Forces and the Unified Air Defense System are operating effectively within the integrated defense space of Russia and BelarusRead moreBattlegroup East fighters clear over 100 buildings liberating Novoye Pole in ZaporozhyeThe Ukrainian armed forces suffered losses amounting to up to a company of personnel, seven armored fighting vehicles and 11 motor vehiclesRead more