And why aren't Iran's allies Russia and China able to help it?

 And why aren't Iran's allies Russia and China able to help it?

 

 

Britain has allowed the US to use its air bases in its ongoing attacks on Iran, sparking debate about what support Tehran might receive from its allies.

Both Russia and China have strong diplomatic, trade and military ties with Iran.

But the current conflict will test the lengths they are prepared to go to help their ally.

Russia’s verbal spending

Bruce’s Sergei Gorshkov says Moscow has made a lot of noise about the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but its response has been quite limited. Russia has expressed anger at the attacks and signaled solidarity with Tehran, but Moscow has avoided taking any steps that could lead to Russia’s direct involvement i

n the conflict.

Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed “deep disappointment” and said that despite talks between Washington and Tehran, the situation has “degenerated into open aggression.”

However, the Kremlin has been reluctant to criticize US President Donald Trump and is still thanking the US for its mediation efforts in the Ukraine issue.

Asked on Monday how Russia can now trust Washington, Peskov said that Russia “trusts only itself first” and ensures the defense of its interests.

When you look at these interests of Russia, our correspondent says, it becomes clear why Russia’s support for Iran is largely limited to rhetoric, even though Tehran has become one of Moscow’s closest allies since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Iran is supplying Russia with drones and helping Moscow develop ways to circumvent Western sanctions.

Iran also fits well into Russia’s global landscape of multiple axes of power, where state rights are more important than human rights, and governments have complete control within the country. The fall of any such regime would be a blow to Russia’s global image.

But the Kremlin has already shown that it is unwilling to take too many risks for its allies, whether in Venezuela or Syria or in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last year.                               

Russia is deeply embroiled in the war in Ukraine and seems unwilling or unable to provide much more than diplomatic rhetoric and military-technical assistance.

Trump watches attacks with a device strapped to his arm and four photos tell the story of his highly sensitive ‘war room’

China, Tehran’s economic lifeline

China has strongly condemned the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Beijing has historically opposed US regime change strategies around the world.

Shan Yuan of the Global China Unit says the strong relationship between China and Iran is largely due to their mutually beneficial economic partnership. China is Iran’s largest trading partner and its most important energy buyer.

Despite years of US sanctions on Iran, Beijing remains Tehran’s economic lifeline. China purchases a large amount of crude oil from Iran at discounted prices through unnamed fleets.

For example, in 2025, China purchased more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports. And with the revenue from Chinese purchases, Iran has been able to not only stabilize its economy but also spend on defense.

In 2021, China and Iran signed a 25-year strategic agreement that further strengthened the relationship between the two countries. Under the deal, China has pledged to invest billions in Iranian infrastructure and telecommunications.

China’s ‘long-term game’

Historically, China has always been a belligerent in Iran-Israel and Iran-US conflicts.

Our correspondent says that whenever a conflict has arisen over Iran in the past, including during the 12-day Israel-Iran war last year, China has always called for ‘restraint’ and accused it of ‘foreign interference’, which is a reference to US policy.

In the past, during conflicts between Iran and Israel, China has acted as a diplomatic shield for Tehran by using or threatening to use its veto power in the UN Security Council and thwarting resolutions against it. However, China has never offered direct military intervention.

Our correspondent says that Beijing’s strategy has always been to keep the US entangled in the Middle East. At the same time, it is also concerned that the entire process does not lead to a total collapse of the region, otherwise there is a risk of a rise in global oil prices.

If a pro-Western government comes to power in Tehran, it would be a devastating geopolitical defeat for China, because Tehran not only meets China’s energy needs but also helps politically counter American influence in the region.

Iran is a member of the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and acts as an important geographical connector connecting Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.

The fall of the Iranian regime could undermine the credibility of the multilateral mechanisms that Moscow and Beijing are trying to strengthen.

The assumption is that unless the US and Israel start a full-scale war against Iran and send their troops to Iranian soil, the political and military structure there is unlikely to collapse.

Beijing will play its usual ‘long-term game’, whereby it will cooperate with whoever replaces Khamenei, whoever that may be. On the other hand, Russia will look for opportunities for itself.