Russia’s credibility with most key actors in the Middle East was curtailed by its failure to prevent the spectacular collapse of its key ally, the al-Assad regime in Syria, in December 2024; the shocking defeat of the Islamic regime in Iran has erased what was left of it.
Baev, Pavel K. (2025) For Iran, Russia is neither an ally nor a mediator, Brookings commentary The global implications of the US strikes on Iran (2–3). 1 July.
