Russia Condemns Trump’s ‘Iron Dome’ Missile Defence Plan

Moscow has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to develop an “Iron Dome for America,” labelling it a move that could escalate military tensions in space. The plan aims to counter ballistic and hypersonic missile threats, reviving elements of the controversial Reagan-era “Star Wars” programme, which proposed space-based missile interceptors.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the initiative proves the United States intends to turn space into a battleground. She claimed that Washington’s approach is aimed at weakening Russian and Chinese strategic deterrence capabilities. The plan, she argued, is comparable to Reagan’s Cold War missile defence strategy, which Russia has long opposed.

Zakharova emphasised that such actions do not contribute to global stability but instead increase geopolitical tensions. She described the move as another example of the U.S. pursuing military dominance at the expense of international security.

Trump’s reference to an “Iron Dome” is inspired by Israel’s missile defence system, designed to intercept short-range rockets. However, Washington faces threats from a range of missile capabilities, making its defence needs vastly different from those of Israel.