Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh told his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in a 23 June phone call that Tehran intends “to punish the aggressor with all our might” and will not accept an imposed peace. Nasirzadeh blamed Washington for regional instability and said Iran is confronting not only Israel but also the United States and other governments that back it. Belousov voiced Moscow’s “firm support” for Iran, according to readouts from both capitals. The conversation came hours after Iran fired a limited volley of ballistic missiles at the U.S.-operated Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, an action Tehran framed as retaliation for U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Qatari and U.S. officials said the projectiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported. Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on X that Iran “did not attack anyone” but “will not accept any aggression from anyone under any circumstances,” adding that the nation would “not submit to anyone’s harassment.” The coordinated statements underline Tehran’s resolve to respond forcefully to further military pressure while enlisting diplomatic backing from Moscow, heightening tensions in a region already on edge after successive U.S., Israeli and Iranian strikes.