Posted on 07/15/2026 8:53:22 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
Although Russia has not directly intervened in the US-Israeli war with Iran, the conflict has underscored the nature and extent of its strategic partnership with the Islamic Republic. Moscow has provided Tehran with satellite targeting data for strikes on US forces as well as delivered advanced fiber-optic drone technology. It has amplified Iran’s propaganda campaign against the West, while benefiting from the war’s spillover effects. The Russia-Iran axis poses a real threat to the US and its allies; it demands a coherent and resolute response.
Why It Matters for the US
Russia is arming Iran. Russia has a long history as Iran’s top military supplier of armored vehicles, combat aircraft, submarines, and air-defense systems. Throughout Operation Epic Fury, Moscow has continued to produce and deliver fighter jets for the Iranian air force as well as train its pilots. Russia has delivered advanced fiber-optic drone components to Iran — technology that could inflict significant casualties on the US and our partners that Tehran has also passed on to its Middle Eastern proxies. In addition, Moscow has committed to supply Tehran with hundreds of man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and thousands of missiles. Russian-supplied targeting intelligence endangers US soldiers’ lives. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed Russia has been aiding Iran during the 2026 war. This backing has included expanded intelligence sharing as well as satellite imagery to aid Tehran’s targeting of US forces. Ukraine revealed that Russian orbital surveillance assets captured images of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, NATO’s Incirlik base in Turkey, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and oil and natural gas fields in Saudi Arabia — all locations subsequently attacked by Iran. Russian intelligence services also provided Iran with a list of 55 critical energy infrastructure targets in Israel. The Caspian Sea enables Iran to evade sanctions. Russia and Iran have expanded maritime trade via the Caspian Sea to circumvent US sanctions on both countries; meanwhile, ocean-going shadow fleets facilitate the bilateral flow of weapons and other goods under Russian supervision. Russia’s nuclear cooperation with Iran compounds the long-term threat. Following the June 2025 12-day Israel-Iran war, Russia signed a deal to construct eight nuclear power plants in Iran. State-owned nuclear firm Rosatom, a key instrument of Russian geopolitical influence in the region, has resumed construction of reactors 2 and 3 at the Bushehr nuclear plant. Russia benefits from the war at America’s expense. While profiting from surging energy prices and ostensibly temporary sanctions relief, Russia is using the war to advance anti-American propaganda, portraying Washington as a neocolonial power and stoking fears that US allies will be abandoned to face a radicalized Iran.
Policy Considerations
Apply targeted sanctions to cut off Russian military assistance to Iran. Congress should direct the administration to designate Russian individuals and entities responsible for weapons deliveries to and intelligence sharing with Iran. Boost US support for Ukraine to help degrade Russian capacity to arm Iran. Ukraine’s pressure on Russia reduces the latter’s ability to transfer weapons to Iran. The US should consider increasing military aid for Ukraine, including long-range strike capabilities and air-defense systems, to indirectly weaken Russia. The two theaters are not separate — they share the same Russian supply chain. Close the Caspian loophole and tighten the shadow fleet enforcement net. Iranian-Russian sanctions evasion via their trans-Caspian maritime shipping channels is difficult to target. However, Israeli attacks on the port of Bandar Anzali, on the Caspian coast, in March likely degraded Iran’s shipping capacity in this basin. The US should also consider secondary sanctions on South Caucasus countries facilitating land transport of restricted goods via the International North-South Transit Corridor linking Iran to Russia. Counter Rosatom nuclear activity in Iran. The US, in coordination with European and Middle Eastern allies and partners, should consider sanctions targeting Rosatom’s operations in Iran. Any future diplomatic negotiations pertaining to the Iran nuclear program should be directly conditioned on a rollback of Rosatom’s presence. Fight Russian propaganda. Russia seeks to damage America’s image around the world. The US should increase cooperation with allies in the soft power space. Washington should boost support for government-funded American media outlets, as per the 2025 National Security Strategy, and task them with more systematically challenging Russian (and Iranian) propaganda, including by documenting Russian belligerence and exposing Russo-Iranian cooperation.
In the mean time ,their own soldiers are being ill-equipped.
North Korean forces were briefly deployed to help chase Ukraine's fascist militias out of the Kursk region of Russia.
Another failed gambit by the West to thin out the Russian line and quite a different picture than the one NATO war-weasels here are trying to portray.
Should Ukraine be dumb enough to try invading Russia again, there's more than enough NK forces in reserve to deal with the threat.
No, Kim Jong Un still has troops fighting in the Russian war at Putin’s request, mostly integrated into Russian forces with Russian uniforms now to reduce the public relations problem.
The Ukraine forces had been fighting North Korean forces when they opened another front on the Russian side of the border.
Putin’s people who oppose our American side in the war continue to strive to protect Russian/North Korean images and propaganda here at FR to assist the enemy.
“Sweden and Finland didn’t seek out NATO membership to get into a war, they sought it to stay out of war.”
Nuts. They joined because Russia is a weak paper tiger and can’t do much about it. They wouldn’t have dared to join if the old Soviet Union was still a going concern.
Tha is a total disconnect from the reality, the invasion of Ukraine, a country not in NATO, led to their people seeking membership, the 2022 invasion even had Switzerland seriously considering NATO.
Putin - backstabbing us, as always
The old Soviet Union was a bigger threat than Russia is now. Their forces were already on the Elbe and they were the dominant power on the Baltic. Why didn’t Sweden and Finland join then? They needed it more back then. Because as I said, they were too frightened of what the Soviets might do to them. Remember the term Finlandization?
NATO was very large and powerful as well, and American forces were huge and included large tactical nuke defenses, at the time it was a total war or not.
Under Putin the threat is one bite at a time and relentless, both those countries looked at the attempt to capture non NATO Kiev and the boldness of Putin’s disregard for anything resembling normality and they felt under threat being also outside of NATO, yet with Finland also on Russia’s border like Ukraine, and for Sweden, Gotland island hanging there ripe for the plucking, they knew what they were doing and didn’t feel the need to get your opinion on their national survival and joining our alliance.
I’m sure Russia remembers who supplied the targeting intel to sink the Moskva.
Putin knows that the United States supports Ukraine.
I’m sure we’ve given Ukraine a lot more help than we’re letting on.
As Victor Davis Hanson wrote
Tuesday, Trump “has given President Zelensky greater targeting leeway and access to more controversial weapons than any previous president.”
America has a side in this massive and bloody war, and the Russian and North Korean side is opposed by us.
Hanson also wrote Tuesday
“In any case, our rival Russia is now in its weakest political, economic, and military condition since the post-Soviet chaos of the 1990s. Had anyone predicted five years ago that Russia would be importing gasoline or that buildings around the Kremlin would routinely be struck by drones, he would have been dismissed as delusional. Nor could anyone have imagined Russia suffering perhaps well over one million dead, wounded, missing, or captured in a Stalingrad-like slog of its own making in Ukraine—while losing perhaps half its arsenal of ships, tanks, and aircraft.”
“they knew what they were doing and didn’t feel the need to get your opinion on their national survival and joining our alliance.”
And they don’t need yours either. There you go, you lose.
It is you that is arguing the non reality and claiming their decisions are wrong, that all the countries of the world and America that see Russia as a threat are wrong, even as they and their North Korean Army forces fight in Europe to conquer a non-NATO neighbor, your posts are all opinion that disagrees with reality, I’m not doing that.
Another irony being that neutrality served Finland quite well for over 70+ years, with a demilitarized border and lots of trade/tourism with the Soviet Union and then Russia.
Now their economy has become stagnant, their border is being militarized, an occupation force being put in place and the former prime minister (a Social Democrat) who pushed them into NATO is now working for an 'international consortium' that includes Anders Ragmussuen, Tony Blair, Andrily Yermak, and Hillary Clinton, among others..iow she sold the country out.
No, you lie. I did not say Russia wasn’t a threat. But much smaller than the Soviet Union. I guess 50,000 tanks and 30,000 nukes the Solviets had don’t count on your Bizarro Planet,
Me “Sweden and Finland didn’t seek out NATO membership to get into a war, they sought it to stay out of war.”
You
“””Nuts. They joined because Russia is a weak paper tiger and can’t do much about it.”””
Me “It is you that is arguing the non reality and claiming their decisions are wrong, that all the countries of the world and America that see Russia as a threat are wrong”
As far the Soviet tanks, Putin lost those in combat during this invasion and he still has the nukes, and all the nations and president Trump don’t live on your bizarro planet.
“As far the Soviet tanks, Putin lost those in combat during this invasion and he still has the nukes”
They started the war with 5,000 tanks, far from the 50,000 they used to have. It’s said they’re down to less than 5,000 tanks and five or six thousand nukes.
“50,000 tanks and 30,000 nukes the Solviets had don’t count” Sheesh. Nato cheerleading.
Still trying so desperately to argue against the side America supports and for the enemy, that you ignore the nukes and use really silly incorrect tank numbers, as though it means something.
One of the benefits for America from Putin’s quagmire in Ukraine is the destruction of those vast Russian military stocks he had after we brought down their evil empire.
Russia always has some Americans supporting them against our side, no matter the war or the era.
Russia always has some Freepers supporting them against our side, no matter the war or the era.
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