{"id":7175,"date":"2026-10-20T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/russias-shadow-role-in-iran-war-comes-under-fresh-scrutiny\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:00:00","slug":"russias-shadow-role-in-iran-war-comes-under-fresh-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/ru\/russias-shadow-role-in-iran-war-comes-under-fresh-scrutiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia\u2019s Shadow Role in Iran War Comes Under Fresh Scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Iran on October 19, meeting with President Masud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi amid questions over what support Moscow is providing Tehran to fight its war with the United States.<\/p>\n

Lavrov traveled to the Iranian capital directly from Manama, Bahrain, where he had attended a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council officials. Gulf states have urged Moscow to use its influence to press Tehran to halt attacks on its neighbors.<\/p>\n

Lavrov also met with Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which described the talks in broad terms and provided little detail.<\/p>\n

The meetings were held in “a traditionally constructive spirit” and with “an emphasis on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Russian statement said.<\/p>\n

It said the “importance of close coordination regarding the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region, as well as in the South Caucasus and the Caspian region, was underscored, and that Lavrov “reaffirmed Russia\u2019s readiness” to facilitate a resolution to the situation surrounding Iran” — meaning the war.<\/p>\n

The Russian statement made no mention of military or intelligence cooperation — but what was not on the public agenda was the focus of much of the world.<\/p>\n

After battling a much more powerful adversary for almost eight months, questions about how much support Iran is getting from Russia — which has never directly entered the war — and in what form have simmered.<\/p>\n

They came to a boil, however, on October 18 when US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Russia is doing \u201cvery little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran\u201d compared to what it could do.<\/p>\n

That came after he wrote earlier in the week on social media that he did not believe either Moscow nor Beijing were helping Iran \u201cat all.\u201d<\/p>\n

“If they are, \u200cit’s at a very low level, but \u200cI don’t believe they are at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast,” Trump wrote.<\/p>\n

Trump’s October 18 comment was made as part of his justification to waive sweeping sanctions planned against Russia, saying it could drive the Kremlin away from negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration recently waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports, drawing bipartisan condemnation, as well as raising the ire of Ukraine and many of its international partners.<\/p>\n

‘Russian Support Has Been There’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the Belgium-based International Crisis Group, told RFE\/RL that while it’s true Moscow has withheld heavy weaponry and deals for jets such as the Su-35 fighters have stalled, Russia has still provided Iran with military intelligence enabling \u201cprecision strikes against US bases\u201d and helped improve Iranian-made systems, including Shahed drones, through continued military-technical cooperation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it really depends on how you define support, but Russian support has been there, and it has had a tangible impact,\u201d Azizi said.<\/p>\n

Several analysts point to one incident they say shows how important Russia’s support for Iran is.<\/p>\n

In March, Iran attacked the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, wounding 12 American troops.<\/p>\n

Experts noted its unusual precision was likely aided by Russian intelligence. Reports then surfaced that two days before the strike, 14 Russian spy satellites passed over the base. Later, US officials concluded that information from Moscow made the precision attack possible.<\/p>\n

A senior EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on the record, told RFE\/RL that Russian assistance to Iran has always been limited because its war against Ukraine has stretched Moscow\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n

The official said there was \u201cno sign at all that they are limiting it further\u201d and described Trump’s comment as “propaganda to somehow explain to the [US] public why he [is] soft on Russia and bullying Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Intelligence, Drones, And Missiles<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, media reports citing US, European, and Ukrainian officials have described growing Russian support for Tehran.<\/p>\n

Several media outlets have cited people familiar with US intelligence that Russia has been passing Iran information on the locations and movements of US troops, warships, and aircraft — much of it satellite imagery.<\/p>\n

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv had evidence that Russia was providing Iran with signals and electronic intelligence.<\/p>\n

According to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, “Russia\u2019s support for Tehran has been operationally meaningful but carefully bounded.”<\/p>\n

“Even as it fights its own war in Ukraine, Moscow has found ways to help Iran strike American targets and sustain the fight through diplomatic cover and material support while stopping short of actions that could draw Russia into direct conflict with the United States,” they wrote<\/strong><\/a> in an analysis in Foreign Affairs last week.<\/p>\n

Amir Chahaki, an analyst based in Germany, told RFE\/RL’s Radio Farda that Putin wants to use Iran as leverage in his dealings with Trump in return for the US applying pressure on Ukraine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more Putin can persuade Tehran to move closer to Trump\u2019s demands, the more concessions he can extract from Trump,” he said.<\/p>\n

By RFE\/RL<\/a><\/p>\n

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