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Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Nato should not ignore Russia's ‘coalition of murderers'
This week's Nato summit could not come at a more pivotal moment. As recent months have shown, the challenges to contemporary global security are no longer limited to the individual threats posed by Moscow, Tehran, or Pyongyang. What makes the current situation even more concerning for the West is the multiple threats posed by the heightened bilateral and trilateral collaborations between these actors, alongside those with Beijing. Whilst the so-called CRINK (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) does not yet constitute any formal strategic alliance, it would be naïve and dangerous to dismiss their ties as merely superficial. On his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday, Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia, Iran, and North Korea a 'coalition of murderers' after Russian drones and ballistic missiles struck Kyiv hours after his arrival in London. Ukrainian intelligence reported that half of the 352 drones used were Iranian Shahed drones, and many of the ballistic missiles were from North Korea. The authoritarian axis between Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China will be just one global security concern Within this 'coalition', there is ample room for China, which enables Moscow's war through providing dual-use technologies to Russia. Akin to its Russian counterpart, Beijing has also violated United Nations sanctions which it previously supported. Tens of thousands – if not more – of North Korean workers remain in China and Russia, and for all Beijing's supposed nausea at Pyongyang's rapprochement with Moscow, such emesis is not severe enough to prevent the middle kingdom from aiding its naughty nuclear neighbour by smuggling oil and petroleum. Since Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, mutual support between China, North Korea, Russia and Iran have gone beyond mere words of affirmation. Whether the development of Russian weapons factories in China; the cash-for-munitions (and manpower) exchange between Moscow and Pyongyang; or the sharing of ballistic missile technology between Pyongyang and Tehran, bilateral cooperation has reached new heights. Who can forget when Russia and North Korea signed a 'comprehensive strategic partnership treaty' on 19 June last year, within which was contained a mutual defence clause? Or when this year began with Moscow and Tehran signing a treaty of the same name, albeit this time lacking such a commitment to mutual defence? These four countries do not possess identical interests or ideologies: one need only compare the theocracy of Iran with the atheistic nature of China and North Korea. Nevertheless, their unity in their opposition to the United States and the US-led international order would be perilous to ignore. After the first week of the current Israeli-Iranian conflict, Putin mentioned that Russia had no intention of providing military assistance to Iran. But when the Russian President hosted the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, yesterday, days after the US's successful precision-guided strikes on three Iranian uranium enrichment sites, he made clear how the attack had 'no basis and no justification'. Even if Russia does not get involved directly in supporting Iran, we all know which team it bats for. For all their differences, these states can also learn from each other. The US's air strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan have only underscored how Iran is the weakest amongst this quartet of chaos. Yet, Trump's hardly unsubtle hint at regime change in Iran will do little to convince what is left of the crumbling Iranian regime to renege on their nuclear aspirations. Tehran needs only to look nearly four thousand miles eastwards, to Pyongyang, for inspiration. As world leaders meet today for the two-day Nato summit in The Hague, the authoritarian axis between Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China will be just one regional and global security concern during a time of 'polycrisis' across the globe. Despite such interconnectedness, out of the so-called Indo-Pacific Four (Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand), only the New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has agreed to attend the summit. The leaders of the other three states, including the newly-elected South Korean President, Lee Jae-myung, have opted to send senior officials (in South Korea's case, National Security Advisor, Wi Sung-lac), in their places. That three out of the four leaders have chosen to sit out this week's gathering – which they had attended (as non-Nato members) since 2022 – could be seen as a snub to US President Donald Trump, in disapproval of his intervention in Iran. But Tokyo, Seoul, and Canberra may also be motivated by great power politics. If no bilateral discussion with Trump – who has imposed sweeping tariffs on all four Indo-Pacific states – is on the cards, then summitry remains firmly off the cards. It is perhaps ironic that the Japanese Prime Minister, Ishiba Shigeru, has chosen not to attend what would have been his first Nato Summit, given his past calls for an 'Asian Nato'. Japan has also been hesitant to support the US's stance towards Iran, not least given Tokyo's dependence on the Middle Eastern region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports. For a country whose economy is hardly blossoming, any closure to the Straits of Hormuz – which Tehran has threatened – will rub further salt into Tokyo's economic wounds in addition to causing catastrophic global impacts. One of the nicknames bestowed upon the loquacious former Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, was Nato: 'no action, talk only'. With a coalition of anti-Western states strengthening their bilateral – if not multilateral – ties, the need for talking to lead to action has never been greater. Last night's ceasefire between Israel and Iran lasted barely a few hours, and if Iran is successful, a world of nine nuclear-armed states may soon get its tenth member. And by then, who knows how the other rogue states will seek to benefit from the newest member of the nuclear club.
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
List of Iran's allies: What we know after US strikes nuclear sites
Trump's order to strike Iran's nuclear facilities comes after Israel began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure on June 13. Israel said the U.S. coordinated and helped plan the strikes in an operation to thwart Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Israel's military launched strikes on the country's capital of Tehran on June 23, focusing on military and government targets, Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister said, hitting a major prison and the security headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, among more "regime targets." The latest strikes also targeted airports. The attack forced major U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles to ramp up security. Government agencies issued warnings to U.S. citizens at home. The State Department issued a "worldwide caution security alert" advising American citizens overseas to exercise increased vigilance amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war. As the Israel-Iran conflict continues - now with the U.S. involved - here is a look at Iran's allies. Live updates: What is Iran's next move? World awaits response to U.S. bombing Who are Iran's allies? Hours after the U.S. strikes, Vice President JD Vance said America is "at war with Iran's nuclear program," not the country. As of June 23, the conflict remained between Israel, backed by the U.S., and Iran alone. An acronym coined in 2023 by some Western officials, CRINK, which includes China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, according to reports from Politico and the Wall Street Journal, refers to an emerging connection of four countries. "While not a formal alliance with a unified command structure, the CRINK nations engage in cooperation on various fronts, including exchanging food, oil, arms, diplomatic support, and military assistance," Politico reported last year. Here is what to know about Iran's allies: Russia : Repeated warnings from Moscow cited any direct U.S. action on Iranian soil would amount to "a dangerous escalation." The country's President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless. : Repeated warnings from Moscow cited any direct U.S. action on Iranian soil would amount to "a dangerous escalation." The country's President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless. China : The country said it strongly condemned the U.S. attack on Iran and said it violated the UN Charter and international law. It called for a ceasefire but didn't offer Iran any substantial assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. airstrike. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and the two countries are friendly. : The country said it strongly condemned the U.S. attack on Iran and said it violated the UN Charter and international law. It called for a ceasefire but didn't offer Iran any substantial assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. airstrike. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and the two countries are friendly. North Korea: The country also said it strongly condemned the U.S. strikes against Iran calling it a grave violation of a sovereign state's security interests and territorial rights, state media reported. "(North Korea) strongly denounces the attack on Iran by the U.S. which ... violently trampled down the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state," a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement carried by KCNA news agency. Countries tied to Iran Contributing: Reuters, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Kim Hjelmgaard, Jeanine Santucci, Susan Miller, and Christopher Cann Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
USA Today
21 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Who are Iran's allies? What to know after US attack
After the United States joined Israel's battle with Iran, bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, concerns of retaliation from the Middle Eastern country continued to circulate on Monday, June 23. In what President Donald Trump called a "great success," American warplanes launched bombs and missiles striking uranium enrichment sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. No U.S. military personnel were injured in the operation, which took place Sunday after midnight local time in Iran. Trump's order to strike Iran's nuclear facilities comes after Israel began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure on June 13. Israel said the U.S. coordinated and helped plan the strikes in an operation to thwart Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Israel's military launched strikes on the country's capital of Tehran on June 23, focusing on military and government targets, Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister said, hitting a major prison and the security headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, among more "regime targets." The latest strikes also targeted airports. The attack forced major U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles to ramp up security. Government agencies issued warnings to U.S. citizens at home. The State Department issued a 'worldwide caution security alert' advising American citizens overseas to exercise increased vigilance amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war. As the Israel-Iran conflict continues − now with the U.S. involved − here is a look at Iran's allies. Live updates: What is Iran's next move? World awaits response to U.S. bombing Who are Iran's allies? Hours after the U.S. strikes, Vice President JD Vance said America is 'at war with Iran's nuclear program," not the country. As of June 23, the conflict remained between Israel, backed by the U.S., and Iran alone. An acronym coined in 2023 by some Western officials, CRINK, which includes China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, according to reports from Politico and the Wall Street Journal, refers to an emerging connection of four countries. "While not a formal alliance with a unified command structure, the CRINK nations engage in cooperation on various fronts, including exchanging food, oil, arms, diplomatic support, and military assistance," Politico reported last year. Here is what to know about Iran's allies: Countries tied to Iran Contributing: Reuters, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Kim Hjelmgaard, Jeanine Santucci, Susan Miller, and Christopher Cann Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Could US involvement pull more countries into the Israel-Iran war?
After the US attack on Iran, speculation has turned to Iran's most powerful allies — Russia and China — and how they might respond. China has denounced the US strikes as "a dangerous turning point" and Russia has warned of nuclear risks, yet both have avoided direct military intervention so far. The two nuclear-armed nations have used a UN Security Council meeting on Monday to call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war. Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly vowed to enact "a response" against the US, prompting concern that it will retaliate against US military bases hosted in neighbouring Arab countries. Here's an updated look at the key alliances in the Israel-Iran war and how they might come into play. Russia, China unlikely to use force China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — or "CRINK" for short — have become increasingly supportive of each other as part of an informal alliance that seeks to challenge the US-led world order. Unlike the Western NATO alliance, there is no formal agreement between the CRINK countries to come to each other's help in a crisis and their responses so far suggest they will not intervene militarily in the Israel-Iran war. Rather, China and Russia have renewed their calls for a diplomatic solution after strongly condemning US involvement. "We're unlikely to see global countries like China and Russia get involved, unless it's to supply weapons," says Mohammed Alsudairi, a lecturer in politics and international relations at the Australian National University who specialises in China's ties with Arabic-speaking countries. "But even then, their likelihood of supplying weapons is quite low." Click on the cards below to read more on how global allies have aligned themselves with Iran. Chinese President Xi Jinping has secured a third leadership term. ( Reuters: Jason Lee ) Iran has a primarily economic relationship with China, which is one of Iran's largest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) in exchange for a steady supply of Iranian oil. But Dr Alsudairi says China has little appetite to be embroiled in the region's conflicts. "At best, the Middle East is of third or fourth-tier strategic importance to China," he says. "China has already obtained a lot of what it needs through its existing relationships in the region. It doesn't need to embed itself in architectures of security." Like Russia, China has positioned itself as a peace broker between Iran and Israel after denouncing the US strikes as a violation of international law. "China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians and start dialogue and negotiation," a foreign ministry spokesperson said. "China stands ready to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East." Russia pushes for diplomacy Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a delegation to Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine. ( Reuters: Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov ) Russia and Iran are long-term allies whose security relationship has deepened in recent years with the supply of Iranian drones for Russia's own war against Ukraine. The country has strongly condemned the US strikes on Iran, calling them "irresponsible" and a violation of international law. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that he would hold "serious consultations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "Russia is a friend of Iran and we enjoy a strategy partnership, and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions," he said. It is not clear yet what will come out of this meeting, though we know Russia has been pushing for diplomacy after offering to mediate between Israel and Iran. "We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track," Russia's foreign ministry said in an earlier statement on Sunday. Janatan Sayeh, a research analyst focused on Iran at the US Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says even if Russia wanted to offer Iran military support, it would not have the material capacity. "[Russia has] been reliant on Iranian drones and missiles so it's not necessarily in a position to weigh in on another conflict, given the war in Ukraine is not really going to their plan," he says. Pakistan breaks ranks Pakistan is the only Muslim country in the world with a recognised nuclear weapons program. While it is a long-time US ally, Pakistan broke ranks by condemning the strikes ordered by President Donald Trump. At the UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Pakistan joined Russia and China in saying the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities "violate all norms of international law" and that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the war. "We are gravely concerned," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an earlier statement on Sunday. "The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran, is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond." Also on Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to "convey Pakistan's condemnation of the US attacks", a statement from the Pakistani leader said. Yet the day before, Pakistan had said it was nominating Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing a four-day conflict with India to an end last month. It said on Saturday he had "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship". Pakistan's information minister and the foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the apparent contradiction in the country's positions over the weekend. Meanwhile, in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, thousands marched in protest against the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A large American flag with a picture of Mr Trump on it was placed on the road for demonstrators to walk over. The protesters shouted out chants against America, Israel and Pakistan's regional enemy, India. North Korea on the periphery Kim Jong Un has ruled North Korea since 2011. ( KCNA via Reuters ) Iran and North Korea have long been reported to share missile technology and nuclear research. But there has been no indication so far that North Korea will get involved in the Israel-Iran war. A press statement released by the country's foreign ministry on June 20 condemned Israel's initial strikes on Iran as a "crime against humanity". "The present grave situation witnessed by the world clearly proves that Israel … is a cancer-like entity for peace in the Middle East and the chief culprit in destroying global peace and security," the statement said. "The international community is strictly watching the US and Western forces fanning up the flames of war, taking issue with the legitimate sovereign right and exercise of the right to self-defence of Iran." North Korea reiterated its condemnation following the US strikes against Iran on Monday. So how might Iran retaliate? Iran has spent decades propping up militant groups across the Middle East, forming its so-called "Axis of Resistance", which it could potentially activate to strike US military bases in the region. This network of Iranian "proxies" includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, some armed groups in Iraq and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank. But over the past two years, Iran's regional allies have been dealt some severe blows, with Israel significantly degrading Hezbollah and Hamas's fighting capabilities. According to Janatan Sayeh, a research analyst focused on Iran at the US Foundation for Defense of Democracies, that leaves the Islamic Republic largely on its own. "However, we might see Iraqi militias that are backed by Tehran attack US bases as they have recently escalated their threats against US interests in the region," he said. Iran could also still call on the Houthis, who had threatened to resume their attacks in the Red Sea — a crucial global trade route — if the US entered the war. Both the Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthi rebels have the drone and missile capabilities that would allow them to target the US and its allies in the region. Click on the cards below to read more about how Iran's regional allies are responding. Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed retaliation for recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon would be carried out in central Tel Aviv. ( Reuters: Al Manar TV ) Hezbollah has long been considered Iran's first line of defence in case of a war with Israel, but the Lebanese militant group has stayed out of the latest conflict. At one point, Hezbollah was believed to have around 150,000 rockets and missiles, and its former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, once claimed to have 100,000 fighters. The group was drawn into a full-scale war with Israel last September after it tried to help its ally, Hamas, fight off Israel's offensive in Gaza, which was sparked by the Palestinian militants' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. A daring attack by Israel, which involved remotely detonating pagers and walkie-talkies armed with explosives that had been distributed to Hezbollah members, killed key members of the armed group as well as some civilians. While a US-brokered ceasefire halted the Israel-Hezbollah conflict last November, Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and carries out near-daily air strikes. Hezbollah's current leader, Naim Qassem, has condemned Israel's attacks on Iran and offered condolences for the senior Iranian officers who were killed. But Qassem did not suggest Hezbollah would take part in any retaliation against Israel. According to Ian Parmeter, a Middle East scholar at the Australian National University (ANU) and a former Australian ambassador to Lebanon, Hezbollah is still reeling from its losses. "Hezbollah has been very badly degraded, and Iran hasn't been able to resupply it with rockets and missiles," Mr Parmeter says. "So Hezbollah is not able to create a diversionary attack on Iran's behalf." Still, Qassem Qassir, a Lebanese analyst close to Hezbollah, told the Associated Press a role for the militant group in the Israel-Iran conflict should not be ruled out. "This depends on political and field developments," he said. "Anything is possible." Iran-backed: Iraqi militias show solidarity The US launched strikes against the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah. ( Reuters: Thaier al-Sudani ) Unlike Hezbollah, whose military wing has operated as a non-state actor in Lebanon, the main Iraqi militias are members of a coalition that is officially part of the state defence forces. For their part in Iran's "axis", the Iraqi militias have occasionally struck bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria. One of these militias, Kataib Hezbollah, said it was "deeply regrettable" that Israel allegedly fired at Iran from Iraqi airspace in the last week. The armed group called on the Iraqi government to "urgently expel hostile forces from the country," which is a reference to US troops in Iraq, but it made no threat of force. Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at the British think tank Chatham House, told the Associated Press that Iraq's militias did not want to pull their country into a major conflict. "Things in Iraq are good for them right now, they're connected to the state — they're benefiting politically, economically," Dr Mansour said. "They've seen what's happened to Iran, to Hezbollah, and they're concerned that Israel will turn on them as well." Iran-backed: Houthis still attacking The strike was the third US attack on Houthi targets in Yemen in recent days. ( AP Photo ) The Houthis remain the only Iran-backed group still firing missiles at Israel as part of a campaign that began with the Gaza war in solidarity with Palestinians. "Triumphing for the oppressed Palestinian and Iranian peoples … This operation was coordinated with the operations carried out by the Iranian army," a military spokesperson said after targeting central Israel's Jaffa. The Houthis are mountain fighters who have been battling Saudi-led forces for control of Yemen in what is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. They have been the de facto government in north Yemen since a 2022 ceasefire. The group has a large arsenal of armed drones and ballistic missiles, largely supplied by Iran, which it has previously used to fire at ships in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route. But the ANU's Mr Parmeter says the Houthis are too geographically removed to strategically harm Israel beyond the rebels' sporadic missile attacks. "Yemen is certainly supported by Iran, but it's too far away to be able to do much damage to Israel," he says. The US has thwarted most of the previous attacks and carried out retaliatory strikes with Israel on Houthi bases. Iran's retaliation often to 'save face' The US has around 40,000 troops currently stationed in the Middle East, including at permanent bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Council of Foreign Relations. These bases boast the same kinds of sophisticated air defences as Israel, but would have much less warning time before waves of missiles or swarms of armed drones. Even Israel, which is several hundred kilometres further away, has been unable to stop all of the incoming fire. Iran could also choose to target key oil and gas facilities in those countries with the goal of exacting a higher price for US involvement in the war. A drone attack on two major oil sites in Saudi Arabia in 2019 — claimed by the Houthis but widely blamed on Iran — briefly cut the kingdom's oil production in half. In a similar vein, Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial choke point for oil shipping. "What we have seen so far with Iran's retaliation is, it's oftentimes in a timely manner. However, it's usually contained," Mr Sayeh says. For example, he says when Mr Trump ordered in 2019 the assassination of Iran's top commander, Qasem Soleimani, Iran called ahead to make sure the US base it would target in Iraq was evacuated to avoid further escalation. "Usually, the retaliation has been just to save face domestically in front of their support base. What is likely to happen right now — and it is in their best interest — is they will take their losses and continue their attacks against Israel."
Wall Street Journal
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
How a New Enemy Axis Called CRINK Is Working Against America
An axis uniting China, Russia, Iran and North Korea—dubbed CRINK by some Western officials—has emerged from the Ukraine war, a loose alliance united by a mutual disdain for the U.S.-led world order. That coalition's cooperation has steadily deepened as the four have exchanged food, oil, arms, diplomatic support and military assistance in a manner designed to remain beyond the reach of Western sanctions.
