This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks.
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CNN
33 minutes ago
- CNN
Analysis: Even if Russia loses Iran as an ally, it stands to profit from the chaos in the Middle East
There's long been an awkward tension at the heart of the Kremlin's complex relationship with the Middle East. On the one hand, Russian alliances and economic influence there have traditionally been strong. On the other, as one of the world's biggest oil and gas producers, Russia tends to profit when things in the energy-rich region go awry and the markets get spooked. That's exactly what is playing out right now, with the Kremlin watching its Iranian ally being drastically weakened by Israeli airstrikes, while reaping the benefits. On the face of it, Russia has so much to lose. Iran has been a particularly useful 'strategic partner' for the Kremlin, not only sharing a disdain for Western values and influence, but also supplying the Russian military with vast squadrons of Shahed aerial drones, enabling the relentless bombardment of Ukraine. Much of that drone production has, admittedly, long since moved to Russia. But with Ukraine's own drones now striking Russian production facilities deep behind the frontlines, that once reliable Iranian supply may eventually be missed. There's also a faint but painful sense of humiliation for the Kremlin to have to stand by and watch yet another key Middle Eastern ally under ferocious bombardment, unable or unwilling to step in. Moscow has issued strongly-worded statements, of course, condemning as 'illegal' Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, adding that the strikes were creating 'unacceptable threats to international security.' It also accused Western countries of manipulating the situation to 'settle political scores.' But Russia's supposed alliance with Iran never extended to defending the Islamic Republic and there has been no Kremlin offer of any military support. It's certainly true that a collapse of the Iranian regime, which is now an apparent Israeli objective, would add Iran to the growing Kremlin list of lost Middle Eastern alliances and client states, including Iraq, Libya and, most recently, Syria. But here's that awkward tension again: things are not quite as bad for Moscow as they may seem. In fact, this latest Middle Eastern conflict is playing very nicely into the Kremlin's hands. As well as the welcome financial windfall, courtesy of the surging price of crude oil, the Iran-Israel conflict is also opening up the taps, as it were, to diplomatic opportunities for a Kremlin that has faced years of international isolation over its war in Ukraine. Russia has never stopped seeing itself as a major player in international diplomacy, with a rightful place at the top table alongside the US and China. Now, the Kremlin has an issue on which it can jointly and productively cooperate with the United States, and possibly emerge as an indispensable US partner when it comes to eventually patching the region back together again. As the only major political leader with a direct line to the Iranians, the Israelis and the United States, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is already carefully leveraging his pivotal position, signaling his willingness to act as a mediator, casting Russia as an important power broker in the Middle East. In a recent call to the White House, Putin reminded President Donald Trump how Russia has been a long-time US ally when it comes to the Iranian nuclear issue – a heavy hint that he is open to being one again. The White House, it appears, could be open to the idea: After the call, President Trump expressed a willingness to consider the Russian leader as a potential mediator in the conflict. Since the start of President Trump's second term, Washington and Moscow have been desperate to find ways to broaden their relationship beyond the narrow focus on the Ukraine war. The fate of Iran and its nuclear ambitions have unexpectedly reemerged – along with the Arctic, economic cooperation and space exploration – as yet another area of potential common interest. For the Kremlin – and maybe for President Trump too – that's a major boon. Not so much for beleaguered Ukraine. With an escalating Mideast crisis, and the US seemingly teetering on the brink of increasing its direct involvement, global attention has been suddenly diverted from the ongoing war in Ukraine – where intensifying Russian drone and missile strikes are taking an appalling toll – to the devastation being wrought in Israel and Iran. And, for a while at least, the focus appears to have shifted firmly onto the Kremlin's role as a potential peacemaker in the Middle East, and away from its part in the war it is continuing to wage closer to home.
Wall Street Journal
43 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Oil Markets Volatile as Investors Watch for Mideast Escalations
Oil prices remained volatile and major indexes were mixed in Asia as markets continued to digest the unfolding Israel-Iran conflict amid waning hopes for a quick de-escalation. Wednesday's moves come after President Trump's warning that he is losing patience with Iran, and his suggestion that the U.S. might join Israel's strikes.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Great-Grandson of Islamic Republic's Founder Was in Streets as Israel Fired on Tehran
The 28-year-old great-grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic, was standing on a balcony in Tehran in the middle of the night on Tuesday as sounds of explosions from Israeli strikes and thuds of air defenses rocked the city. Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini, a junior cleric, said in a telephone interview with The New York Times, that from his viewpoint Israel had waged a war on Iran, threatening the integrity of the country and the safety of its people. But for him, he said, the conflict was also deeply personal. The legacy of his family name, the revolution his great-grandfather had led, toppling thousands of years of monarchy in Iran in 1979, was at stake. 'I want to say is that we will remain in Tehran, we will not leave this land. Even if we have to sacrifice every ounce of our blood, like a soldier, we will fight,' said Mr. Khomeini. 'The enemy has made a massive mistake if it thinks it can dislodge this revolution.' An even bigger mistake, Mr. Khomeini said, would be for President Trump to enter the war and attack the Fordo nuclear site. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump posted a series of messages on social media, one of which called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender.' He also met with his National Security Council as evidence mounted that the United States was considering joining Israel's bombing campaign to damage Iran's nuclear capabilities. A day earlier, Mr. Trump had warned residents of Tehran, a city of more than 10 million people, to evacuate in a social media post. Many residents of Tehran have tried to heed his call. 'Iran will respond in a different way if this happens,' Mr. Khomeini said, in reference to the United States becoming more involved in the conflict. The war would spread, and the region would descend further into chaos, he said. Mr. Khomeini lives in the city of Qom, about 100 miles south of Tehran, where he attends Shia theological seminary. He is the grandson of Mr. Khomeini's son, Ahmad, and in the past few years has identified with the reformist faction of the government. He campaigned for the reformist candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, who won the presidential election nearly a year ago. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
