It’s hard to calculate Iran’s response to a potential US invasion, Vladimir Putin has said, adding that assaulting the Gulf state could bring “disaster” to the entire Middle East region.

There are voices in the US calling for a military action against Iran, but hopefully, such a scenario will never come true, Putin admitted on Thursday. An all-out invasion of Iran could trigger “a disaster in the region” due to the spike in violence and, possibly, waves of refugees fleeing for safety. That aside, “anyone attempting to do this” would also pay a price, he cautioned.

It is hard to foresee what happens if military force is used.

Iran is a Shiite country and Iranians have a reputation as people that go to extremes if their country is attacked, according to Putin. “No one knows what those extremes will bring and it’s hard to say who will be affected.”

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Tensions around Iran have been rising since US President Donald Trump torpedoed the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed sweeping sanctions targeting large swathes of Iran’s economy. Recently, Washington raised the stakes in the standoff, sending additional military assets – including a carrier strike group, a bomber task force, and Patriot missiles – to countries bordering Iran.

On the political front, the US keeps claiming that Iran has been violating the hard-earned accord which allowed sanctions to be lifted in return for Iran scaling back its nuclear program.

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Putin, however, was critical of the American claims. Iran abides by the deal and “violates nothing here," he said, adding, “we think imposing any sanctions on Iran is unfounded.”

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