Pakistan, June 22 -- MOSCOW - A senior Russian official on Sunday sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of launching a new war by ordering strikes on Iran, a move Moscow believes will only strengthen Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's grip on power.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said Trump had failed in his image as a peacemaker and warned that the U.S. may get dragged into a larger military conflict. "Trump, who came in as a peacemaker president, has started a new war," Medvedev said, adding that "with this kind of success, Trump won't win the Nobel Peace Prize."

Medvedev emphasized that the Iranian regime appeared even stronger after the strikes, as public support around Khame...