Russia has thrown its support behind Iran’s recent onslaught against Israel on April 13, drawing condemnation from international observers and exacerbating tensions in the region.
Russian officials have sought to justify Iran’s large-scale strikes on Israeli targets, citing purported retaliation for an Israeli assault on Tehran’s diplomatic mission in Syria.
Sergey Mardan, a prominent figure in Russian state media, openly declared Russia’s backing of Iran’s actions, citing the two nations’ military alliance.
During a national broadcast, Mardan expressed solidarity with Iran and defended the attacks, which threatened to inflict significant civilian casualties had it not been for the intervention of modern air defense systems and collaborative efforts with allied forces to intercept hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles.
Russian state propagandist Sergey Mardan says that russia supports Iran’s attack on Israel because Iran is a military ally of russia.
He also hopes that Iran will shoot down Israeli fighter jets. pic.twitter.com/yzi7yGa7Jo— Serhii Sternenko ✙ (@sternenko) April 15, 2024
Russia’s staunch support for Iran’s aggression was further underscored by statements from senior Russian diplomats, including Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, who deemed Iran’s coordinated assault on Israel as a “legitimate response” to Israeli military actions in Syria.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, delivered a scathing rebuke to Israeli expectations of condemnation from Russia over Iran’s attack. In a pointed message to Israel’s envoy in Russia, Zakharova questioned Israel’s own record of condemning Ukrainian strikes on Russian territories, forgetting carefully that Russia itself is the aggressor and attacked Ukraine.
Amidst escalating tensions, reports have surfaced indicating Russia’s intention to bolster Iran’s military capabilities with the supply of Su-35 fighter jets, a move that could further heighten the risk of conflict in the region. Intelligence officials, as reported by The Washington Post, have voiced concerns over the implications of Russia’s support for Iran’s military buildup, warning of the potential for further destabilization and violence.