Russia may lose not only Tehran's support in its war against Ukraine, but also another key ally in the Middle East, writes the British newspaper The Telegraph, quoted by Focus.
The author of the publication, journalist and defense and foreign affairs editor Con Coughlin, analyzes the weakening position of the Russian president in his article titled “Putin is more vulnerable than ever“.
The destruction of Iran's military infrastructure as a result of Israeli attacks poses a serious threat not only to Tehran, but also to other authoritarian regimes such as the Russian one, which rely on Iranian support, Coughlin points out.
After it became clear that the so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine will be far longer than expected, Moscow has made significant efforts to deepen its ties with Tehran. Russia has begun supplying Iran with drones and missiles used to attack Ukrainian forces and infrastructure.
In January 2025, Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement. In exchange for Iranian military aid - drones, missiles and other equipment - Moscow promised to strengthen Iran's air defenses and air force. However, this did not stop Israel, which continued with targeted strikes against Iranian targets.
Coughlin notes that Putin is deeply concerned about the impact of these strikes on Iran's capacity to assist Russia in the war against Ukraine. The Israeli strikes have targeted drone and missile production facilities, as well as launchers, a strategy that is clearly working.
If Iran proves unable to wage its own military campaign against Israel, it will also find it difficult to support Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, the journalist explains. Putin is also likely worried about the possible loss of another important ally, Syria. President Bashar al-Assad is reportedly temporarily staying in Moscow after leaving Damascus, while Iranian ayatollahs are fighting an existential battle for survival. This seriously threatens Russian influence in the region.
An additional complication for Moscow is Putin’s close personal ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which put the Russian leader in a diplomatic dilemma.
According to Coughlin, the situation in Iran is not only worrying for Russia, but also for its other strategic partners - North Korea and China. The Israeli offensive against Iranian infrastructure has the potential to trigger a chain of geopolitical upheavals.
Iran continues to supply Russia with suicide drones, components for assembling unmanned aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles and other weapons. However, Ukrainian security forces indicate that the Russian Federation already has the capacity to produce the Shahed drones on its own. A reduction in ballistic missile supplies would also not be fatal for Moscow, since North Korea already provides similar systems.
According to a report by the American analytical group C4ADS, Russia paid the Iranian company Sahara Thunder at least 1.8 tons of gold worth $104 million for Shahed-136 drones assembled in the Elabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan.