January 23, 2026 | The Telegraph
All of a sudden, Putin is willing to throw Iran under the bus
America should take advantage of this situation to show Russia’s other partners the emptiness of the Kremlin’s friendship
January 23, 2026 | The Telegraph
All of a sudden, Putin is willing to throw Iran under the bus
America should take advantage of this situation to show Russia’s other partners the emptiness of the Kremlin’s friendship
Excerpt
On Thursday, President Trump warned Iran that a US naval “armada” was heading toward the Gulf. Russia’s MFA, meanwhile, has advised against travel to Iran. As Washington hints that strikes on Iran remain an option amid growing anti-regime protests, the crisis has exposed the limits of Russia’s ties with the Islamic Republic.
While Moscow and Tehran have long partnered to oppose the West, Russia is not willing to put itself in harm’s way for Iran. The United States should take advantage of this situation to show Putin’s other partners the emptiness of the Kremlin’s friendship.
Dr. Ivana Stradner serves as a research fellow with FDD’s Barish Center for Media Integrity. She studies Russia’s security strategies and military doctrines to understand how Russia uses information operations for strategic communication.