How robust is the Russian-Iranian partnership?
At a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday, Russian president Vladimir Putin condemned the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites as "unprovoked aggression". He promised Tehran his support but did not elaborate further. Commentators question how close the two nations still are.
Soothing words but little else
Putin has other priorities, La Stampa explains:
“Tehran went to Putin for protection and support but all it got was sympathy and restraint. For Moscow, even a loyal ally is disposable when its weaknesses become a liability. Russia needs an Iran that is open to negotiation more than a strong Iran. Putin wants to get Iran to the negotiating table even if it means [Iran] making painful concessions on the nuclear issue. The Israeli attack on the symbols of Tehran's power confirm that regime change is still a priority for Israel. Moscow, on the other hand, is hostile to overthrows of power that are detrimental to its allies and is calling for an 'international of autocracies' which would entail the semi-automatic defence of allied regimes. ... The axis with Tehran still exists, but the Kremlin is unwilling to go out on a limb.”
The Kremlin is a poor ally
This is not the first time Russia has let down its allies, RFI Romania explains:
“The Shahed drones produced by Iran played a crucial role in the attack on Ukraine for a while, but Moscow is now making these weapons on its own territory. ... Looking back, this would not be the first time the Kremlin abandons its allies: Armenia experienced this first-hand when ethnic Armenians were forced to leave the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. ... Over the past two decades Moscow has made a name for itself as a friend, protector or guarantor of illiberal and authoritarian regimes across the globe. But now it is clear that this rhetoric has no basis in reality.”
A proxy war
Russia's ability to intervene appears to be severely limited now, Aurimas Navys, a defence and security expert, comments in Kauno diena:
“The key takeaway here is that a proxy war between the US and Russia is being fought over Iran. The warring parties are deploying the weapons of their allies – Iran is using Russian arms; Israel is using American ones. While the US is active in the Middle East, Russia is getting sidetracked by the war in Ukraine. Russia is no longer even in a position to intervene symbolically. ... The joint Israeli-US operation is also a bitter blow for Moscow. Putin and his cronies must have realised by now that Russia is no longer in the global power game.”