In the Middle East, chaos is Putin's new ally

Opinion In the Middle East, chaos is Putin's new ally by Anna Borshchevskaya March 5, 2026 2:40 AM 5 min read Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on Feb. 23, 2026. (Maxim Shipenkov / Pool / AFP via Getty Images) Opinion Anna Borshchevskaya Senior fellow at the Washington Institute If anyone was worried that Russia was going to intervene on behalf of its ally Iran in the new Middle East conflict, they need not be. Vladimir Putin's response to the massive U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran — and even the Israeli strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's longtime Supreme Leader — was at best bland. He called the U.S. and Israeli strikes "cynical" and murderous, but issued neither threats, nor red lines, nor commitments to help Iran . To understand Putin's restraint, consider his larger strategy. Russian leader sees no benefit to a futile challenge to the U.S. or Israeli militaries. And he has other priorities. This is not to say that there aren't clear advantages to Putin's patience. The ongoing crisis presents opportunities we know he will try to exploit. Become a member – go ad‑free Putin can position himself as a vital part of any negotiations going forward. And then strengthen that perception by helping Tehran suppress protests and potentially raise the costs of U.S. involvement. Even without direct military support, Russia has already played a vital role in helping Iran. Russia has long provided Tehran with military cooperation. Iran increasingly relied on Russia in recent years to launch satellites into orbit , which helps Iran surveil military targets. Russia is also sharing real-time satellite intelligence and signal data with Iran to help track the movements of U.S. warships, according to recent reports . In the past, Iran retaliated against the U.S. with cyberattacks. Russia could help Iran do so again now. Russia has also helped Iran block communications by supplying electronic jamming technology. Reports also suggest Iran is likely using Ru...