Russia’s Influence in Middle East Takes Hit From Israeli Strikes (Pavel K. Baev – The Jamestown Foundation)

Israel’s unexpected missile offensive on Iran on June 13 caught Moscow off guard, disrupting its assumptions about U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and raising suspicions of a concealed Western strategy to undercut Tehran’s military and nuclear ambitions. Moscow condemned Israel’s actions rhetorically but failed to offer substantive responses, and many passages in its statement read like descriptions of Russia’s own aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s strategic partnership with Iran and its loss of influence in Syria and Libya, along with ineffective oil price manipulation, highlight Russia’s vulnerability and declining global status.

Russia’s Influence in Middle East Takes Hit From Israeli Strikes – Jamestown