How Russia is benefitting from "America's war of choice in Iran"
#Russia #Iran #United States #Middle East #Geopolitical Strategy #Energy Trade #Diplomacy
📌 Key Takeaways
- Russia gains geopolitical leverage as U.S. focuses on Iran tensions.
- Moscow strengthens energy and arms trade partnerships in the Middle East.
- U.S.-Iran conflict diverts Western attention from Russian activities in Ukraine and elsewhere.
- Russia positions itself as a mediator, enhancing its diplomatic influence in the region.
📖 Full Retelling
Treasury chief Scott Bessent said Russia wouldn't benefit from an easing of oil sanctions to calm energy markets. But Russia is.
🏷️ Themes
Geopolitics, International Conflict
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Original Source
World How Russia is benefitting from "America's war of choice in Iran" By Emmet Lyons , Emmet Lyons Producer Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years. Read Full Bio Emmet Lyons , Leigh Kiniry March 18, 2026 / 1:32 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Russia is benefitting financially from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran , analysts tell CBS News, as Tehran's retaliatory strikes paralyze crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and send global energy prices skyward. The U.S. Treasury issued a 30 day waiver last week on sanctions imposed on Russian energy sales over Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine . The waiver allows Russia to sell oil that was already loaded onto tankers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the waiver a "narrowly tailored, short-term measure" to "promote stability in global energy markets," and he insisted it would not "provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government." Some analysts, and Russia, disagree. Already the increase in oil revenue is "quickly becoming a lifeline for Russia," Luke Wickenden, a Europe-Russia Energy and Sanctions Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air , told CBS News on Tuesday. "Russian crude oil was trading at around a 10 to 20% discount" before the waiver eased the U.S. sanctions, Wickenden said. "Now, that discount has completely vanished and it's pretty much at the exact same level as Brent crude," which is widely seen as the international benchmark for oil prices Wickenden told CBS News the boost in revenue for Moscow is, at least in part, down to the waiver incentivizing buyers of Russian oil to increase their imports. "These countries that previously may have been slightly wary of importing this crude oil may actually increase their imports. So, for example, China's imports have risen 22% compa...
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