Lavrov sees no reason to assume a US nuclear strike on Iran and speaks of stirring up sentiment before the election

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 3 November 2026 answered a question that links the congressional election to the conflict over Iran. At a press conference, the agency Interfax asked him about remarks by US host Tucker Carlson on a possible US nuclear strike on Iran.

According to the agency Interfax, Lavrov said he sees no real grounds for such a conclusion. It is not confirmed by other sources, he said. Russia has therefore not specifically approached the US. Lavrov interpreted the remark as campaigning: “Такой разогрев предвыборного состояния избирателей – он иногда используется”, that is: such a stirring up of voters' sentiment before an election is sometimes used. Interfax adds that Moscow assumes the remark was made on the eve of the midterm election (Interfax, 3 November 2026, 11:57 CET).

Lavrov expresses no expectation about the outcome of the election. The Kremlin had called the election an internal affair of the US the day before. This is the view of the Russian government. How other governments view the election is under Reports. When the results will come is on the election night page.