US Warns Russia, China: ‘You’re Playing With Fire’ Over Iran Support

US Warns Russia, China: ‘You’re Playing With Fire’ Over Iran Support

A senior United States lawmaker has issued a strong warning to Russia and China, cautioning that any support for Iran during the ongoing U.S.-led military campaign against Tehran could trigger serious consequences and escalate the conflict.

Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas and chairman of the United States Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered the warning on Wednesday, saying any country assisting Iran would be crossing a dangerous line.

“Any country who provides assistance to Iran is playing with fire. Russia and China should be on notice,” Cotton wrote on the social media platform X.

The senator made the remarks as the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict continues to intensify across the Middle East, with sustained military operations and retaliatory strikes raising concerns about a wider geopolitical confrontation.

Cotton also repeated the warning during an interview with Fox News, where he compared potential Russian involvement to Cold War-era Soviet tactics of sharing intelligence with adversaries of the United States.

According to him, any such move would provoke a strong response from the national security team of Donald Trump, which includes Marco Rubio as Secretary of State and John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

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The warning follows U.S. intelligence reports suggesting that Russia may have provided Iran with targeting information about American military assets operating in the Middle East.

Officials believe such intelligence may have helped Iranian forces plan missile or drone strikes against U.S. positions in the region.

American authorities have linked this alleged support to recent Iranian attacks that resulted in U.S. casualties, including a reported strike on a military position in Kuwait that killed six American service members.

Beyond Russia, Washington is also monitoring possible involvement by China. U.S. officials have raised concerns about potential financial backing for Tehran and possible transfers of missile-related technology, although public details about such activities remain limited and largely unconfirmed.

The warning comes as Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran, enters its second week.

The campaign, launched in early March, has involved sustained air and naval strikes targeting Iranian military bases, missile launch facilities and naval infrastructure.

The operation has drawn bipartisan attention in the U.S. Congress while also raising concerns among security analysts about the possibility of regional escalation or even ground deployments if hostilities continue.

Meanwhile, China has publicly called for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Speaking on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing does not support attacks targeting Gulf countries or civilians.

“China does not agree with attacks on Gulf countries and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets,” Guo said.

Chinese officials, including representatives at the United Nations, have also urged all parties to halt military operations and return to diplomacy in order to prevent further escalation.

“The fundamental solution is to jointly return to the right track of abiding by international law and the basic norms of international relations,” the spokesperson added.

Neither the government of Russia nor China has issued an official response to Cotton’s specific warning.

Russian officials have previously denied providing lethal assistance or intelligence that could directly endanger American forces, while Chinese representatives have criticised U.S. military actions in the Middle East as destabilising and called for restraint from all parties.

Security analysts warn that any confirmed military cooperation between Iran and major global powers could significantly widen the conflict and increase the risk of a broader international confrontation.

US Warns Russia, China: ‘You’re Playing With Fire’ Over Iran Support