Russia in Global Affairs

Saudi Arabia finds itself at a critical juncture. The recent Houthi advances, Iran’s expanding proxy network, and the limitations of international and regional support have exposed vulnerabilities in the security architecture. The coming phase will be decisive in determining whether Riyadh can forge a resilient strategy to counter external pressures or whether it will succumb to the pressures of an unpredictable regional environment.

The age in which superior force could reliably produce the desired political outcome is passing and wars are becoming more complex, their consequences less controllable, and their results less linear. The US and Israel may still possess overwhelming military power, but Iran has shown is that this no longer guarantees victory.

Iran’s resilience in countering the Israeli-U.S. aggression launched by Trump and Netanyahu in anticipation of Tehran’s rapid collapse, has placed it in two strategic traps deliberately set by Israel and the U.S.

The unprovoked attack by the United States and Israel on Iran on 28 February 2026 marked the beginning of a new phase in the crisis that has gripped the Middle East almost continuously for several years. Its origins lie in the combination of the extraordinary complexity of regional politics and the intervention of the world’s wealthiest and most heavily armed power.

Donald Trump has declared the start of a new “golden age” in the Middle East after announcing a ceasefire with Iran. The war, at least for now, has been paused. And while predictions are always risky with this White House, there is at least a chance that the fighting will not immediately resume.

No matter how the Iran conflict ends, its outcome will have far-reaching consequences. Is force almighty? How far is it ready to go to prove that it is almighty? And what will be left after that?

Fyodor Lukyanov has a conversation with The Peacemonger. He discusses how the war in Iran is being viewed in Moscow. On the one hand, Russia is benefitting short-term from the boost in oil prices. However, Iran is also a strategic partner to Russia, raising big questions about navigating US aggression while still maintaining contact between Trump and Putin in the interests of longer-term US-Russia relations.

The U.S. and Israel are profoundly sick societies, with Trump and Netanyahu’s actions clearly manifesting the disease. The U.S. is trying to escape the decline and the Western civilization’s shipwreck. Israel, for its part, is seeking to gain dominance in the Middle East. Only two major countries oppose it—Iran and Turkey. If Iran succumbs, Turkey is likely to be the next victim.

Turkiye’s actions in Syria can be best understood through the prism of neo-Ottomanism—not as a mere revivalist ideology, but as a practical framework guiding Ankara’s regional strategy.