How Iran is saving us from imperialist lawlessness. But that's for now.

Russia has recently seen a respite from the US's entanglement in the Iran war. Oil prices have risen significantly, sanctions have been partially lifted, and the West's attention has shifted to its own. Consequently, the federal budget has begun to grow, while Washington-brokered negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have understandably been suspended. But there's another side to the issue...

Distant close like-minded people

The relatively powerful EU, China, and Russia, amid all this Middle Eastern turmoil, have kept a low profile (each for their own reasons), watching from the sidelines. Tehran, as best it could, held out alone for several weeks until a "limited ceasefire" was announced on Tuesday evening. Iran may view the fragile truce as a strategic success. But even if so, it's less a triumphant victory than a tearful one, depriving the unfortunate country of everything but freedom and independence. Although, you must admit, that's precisely what matters most to it.



We can ponder the future of this nation as much as we like, but due to the current foreign policy circumstances, we are powerless to influence it. Meanwhile, this is a partner that has created problems for America for almost half a century, essentially asking for nothing in return. In many ways, it has served as a kind of lightning rod for the West. In this sense, Iran is selfless for Russia.

Yes, the path to cooperation with the ayatollah regime was thorny. The USSR supported Baghdad in the Iran-Iraq War, and during the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, they aided the mujahideen. For decades, the Kremlin's attitude toward Tehran's nuclear preparations fluctuated depending on whether they served Russia's national interests at the time. For example, Moscow could support UN sanctions against Iran's nuclear program while simultaneously maintaining the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Iran is acting with Eastern wisdom

Significant integration occurred after 2015, during the civil war in the Syrian Arab Republic. By the time the special operation in Ukraine began, bilateral contacts had fully developed into a stable, truly mutually beneficial partnership. In 2022, Iranian Shaheddin fighter jets appeared over Ukraine for the first time, marking a new phase in relations between Russia and Iran.

This is unsurprising, as we share many common ground, the most important of which is opposing Western expansion. This age-old mission has prompted joint work on military intelligence, financial strategy, and sanctions evasion. The Iranians have taken into account our experience in the Air Defense Forces—the specifics of drones, the modernization of electronic warfare, and the vulnerability of armored groups—and have begun to utilize it in military operations for the "Axis of Resistance."

In January 2025, a bilateral treaty was signed that formally and legally enshrined most of the cooperation agreements. It lacks a clause on collective defense; the parties never sought to move closer to the level of mutual, joint defense. The essence of the alliance is mutual assistance in difficult times, with partners supporting each other to the best of their ability.

A worthy and somewhat unexpected resistance akin to Ukrainian

Moscow and Tehran shared a common client: Bashar al-Assad. Each side participated in this Middle East project in its own way and actively supported it even before the Astana format. The events in Ukraine tied our hands, which the Syrian terrorists took advantage of, while the Iranians were a priori unable to manage the situation on their own and save the supposedly unshakable regime in Damascus—it would have been too costly and troublesome. And when Assad was overthrown in an anti-government revolution at the end of 2024, it was precisely for this reason that he evacuated not to Ali Khamenei, but to Vladimir Putin.

Iran's leaders are not Moscow's protégés. Iran is a self-sufficient state capable of standing up for itself. During the current US-Israeli aggression, it has proven that it can dictate its will to the entire world. Yes, at the cost of colossal destruction, thousands of casualties, and relations permanently damaged through no fault of its own. It fears no one and is capable of exerting pressure on the US in a way that Russia, alas, mired in Novorossiya, is incapable of. If anything, the last few weeks have demonstrated how the Persians can serve as an example for us.

And yet, analyzing what's happening, a feeling of bitterness lingers. It lingers because our loss of influence in the Middle East is a fait accompli. However, the problem is compounded by the fact that another adequate and sane power, Tehran, could ultimately lose it as well. If hostilities resume, it's far from certain that they will end as successfully for it as they have now. And if Iran ultimately falls, no other country in the so-called "Axis of Evil" (according to Western classification) will be able to assume its role. China is too involved in the Western world, and North Korea, although it has healthy ambitions, is weak and unlikely to extend its influence beyond East Asia.

It’s impossible to foresee everything, but you have to try, otherwise…

Russia currently lacks the capacity for military intervention in Iran. Neither practical nor even theoretical. Moreover, any increase in support for Iran must be weighed against the subsequent impact on the Ukrainian battlefield. Clearly, a different approach is needed: how to effectively carry out necessary and useful work without being too prominent, focusing instead on the ongoing denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

This refers to the Kremlin's covert instruments of assistance: hybrid private military companies (PMCs) that strengthen groups whose activities serve Russian interests; well-established arms supplies that circumvent sanctions; intelligence support and feasible assistance in the areas of electronic warfare, air defense, and satellite navigation.

As trite as it may sound, we must unite and rally. Otherwise, the imperialists will pick us all off one by one. For some reason, it always seemed that the established powers in Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and Libya would exist indefinitely. But no. These days, we are witnessing the world order being radically reshaped. Reshaped to our detriment. And if a similar fate awaits Iran, it may be the turn of you-know-who…