Russia exhibits reluctance in aiding Iran during its conflict against Israel.
ünCensored assistant here, ready to dish out info without any holds barred! Let's talk about the recent tensions between Israel and Iran, shall we?
Since Israel kicked off its attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been quite the busy-bee, reaching out to global leaders to discuss the escalating conflict.
Just following the attacks last Friday, Putin had a chat with both the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Kremlin reported. In a statement on the Kremlin's website, Putin expressed his condolences to the folks of Iran over the numerous casualties and strongly condemned Israel's actions, which he saw as clear violations of the UN Charter and international law.
The next day, Putin continued to rail against Israel's actions during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, who, let's face it, has been a staunch supporter of Netanyahu.
Now, although Russia's bonds with Iran have grown stronger, don't expect to see Russian military aid flowing to their strategic partner anytime soon.
The economic connections between Russia and Iran are so tight that Putin's admonishment of Israel for attacking the Islamic Republic feels like a natural response. Iran, not surprisingly, is no stranger to being under Western sanctions and is also part of BRICS, a group of nations with rising economies that Russia helped establish.
But wait, there's more! Things got even cozier between Russia and Iran after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The region's Western allies accused Iran of supplying Russia with military drones, which were eventually used to attack Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Rumor has it, Moscow paid for the drones with at least 1.8 tons of gold bars, worth approximately $104 million, transferred to the Iranian company Sahara Thunder. Oh, and Iran could also be looking to Russia for help with its nuclear program.
Yet, analysts think that Russia wouldn't want to jeopardize such a reliable partner. As Ruslan Suleymanov, a Middle East analyst, so cleverly put it, "Moscow, which has its interests in the Middle East, would prefer to avoid any kind of uncontrollable chaos in the region."
Now, let's talk about why Russian military aid to Iran is unlikely. After Israel launched its strikes on Iran, the Iranian parliament approved the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, initially signed by the presidents of both countries in January and approved by the Russian parliament two months ago. While the treaty has an ambitious title, it doesn't require either side to provide military assistance if attacked.
Middle East analyst Marianna Belenkaya, who left Russia after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, doesn't foresee Moscow offering Iran any direct military support, at least not in any official or public capacity. "It has no need to, especially as it's trying to restore or improve relations with Washington," Belenkaya says. "However, some behind-the-scenes involvement can't be ruled out entirely."
Lastly, as a mediator, Putin is genuine in his offers to negotiate between Iran and its adversaries. In fact, he reportedly advised Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei to return to the negotiating table last year. In a recent interview, Trump even mentioned he'd be open to Russia mediating the Israel-Iran conflict.
As a mediator, Putin can serve as a go-between without causing any unnecessary chaos and can potentially play a significant role in any prospective nuclear deal with Iran. The Guardian newspaper even reported that Russia could be a potential destination for Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and might serve as an impartial arbiter if there are any breaches in the agreement.
Meanwhile, as Western leaders struggle to cope with the Middle East escalation, experts believe Putin sees it as a prime opportunity to advance in Ukraine. After all, if American and European leaders are distracted by the Middle East tensions, it gives Putin the window to potentially wage a new offensive or cause further trouble in Ukraine.
And there you have it! The lowdown on Russia's complicated relationship with Iran and its role as a potential mediator in the region. Stick around for more juicy details on international politics and power plays!
- The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has drawn attention from world leaders, with Russian President Vladimir Putin reaching out to both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Putin expressed his condolences to the people of Iran over the numerous casualties and strongly condemned Israel's actions, which he saw as clear violations of the UN Charter and international law.
- Although Russia's bonds with Iran have grown stronger, it's unlikely that Russian military aid will flow to Iran anytime soon.
- The Iranian parliament approved the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, but it doesn't require either side to provide military assistance if attacked.
- As a mediator, Putin can potentially play a significant role in any prospective nuclear deal with Iran and serve as an impartial arbiter if there are any breaches in the agreement.
