[Mariner]

"They’re there to make sure Israel doesn’t take out the Iranian nuclear weapons program."

I suppose that's possible, but Russia has never shown direct hostility toward Israel in the past.

They would have to be already airborne to have a chance at intercepting an Israeli raid....no they would not.

They would be able to chase down Israeli aircraft as they were transiting across Jordan and Iraq.

[DoughtyOne]

Once again, that is true, however Russia’s allies in the region are Syria and Iran.

It is not Israel, and Israel would be deemed to be attacking a Russian ally.

How does that end?

I believe it ends at the very least with air strikes in Israel. What that leads to, I don’t even want to contemplate.

Russia didn’t think this one out very well.