Iran-Israel War: The Russia-China Axis That Has Made Iran So Difficult For Trump

Donald Trump described the United States and Israel's ongoing war with Iran as a 'little excursion,' but the conflict has entered its third week with Iran setting its tone, course, and duration.

“arrow-down comments printer search bell top-nav right-arrow left-arrow arrow-down Opinion | The Russia-China Axis That Has Made Iran So Difficult For Trump Iran's successful hitting of US military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf suggests that Russian help is much more than what Trump described as "a bit"”

NDTV

The article asserts Iran has suffered significant losses, including the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war and the deaths of over 40 senior officials.

It also states that the National Security Advisor Ali Larijani was killed on Monday and the Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib a day later, described as Israel's policy of decapitating Iran's regime to incite an uprising.

Khamenei's son Mojtaba has not been seen in public since his appointment amid reports of serious injury.

The piece notes relentless US and Israeli strikes have destroyed a large part, if not most, of Iran's military infrastructure, and that Israel has hit Iran's oil and gas facilities to cripple its economy.

Iran has escalated the war by attacking not only Israel and US diplomatic and military installations but also civilian targets across the Gulf, including airports, hotels, and energy infrastructure.

Trump now says he is surprised by Iran's retaliation, despite his military commanders' warnings of such a scenario.

“arrow-down comments printer search bell top-nav right-arrow left-arrow arrow-down Opinion | The Russia-China Axis That Has Made Iran So Difficult For Trump Iran's successful hitting of US military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf suggests that Russian help is much more than what Trump described as "a bit"”

NDTV

On Tuesday, Trump's top counterterrorism official, Joe Kent, resigned over the war, urging the president to 'reverse course' and claiming that Trump 'started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.'

Russia and China have offered diplomatic support to Iran, condemning the invasion and the killing of its head of state, while also deepening practical support.

“arrow-down comments printer search bell top-nav right-arrow left-arrow arrow-down Opinion | The Russia-China Axis That Has Made Iran So Difficult For Trump Iran's successful hitting of US military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf suggests that Russian help is much more than what Trump described as "a bit"”

NDTV

The article notes that Moscow has provided intelligence on military targets and that Trump once suggested Putin might be helping Iran 'a bit,' but the evidence cited suggests the help is more extensive.

It claims Russia supplied the precise location of a US base in Kuwait enabling an Iranian drone strike that killed six American soldiers, and that its Kanopus-V satellite gives Iran around-the-clock imagery of targets.

It adds that Moscow aims to emulate Western wartime tactics in Ukraine, and that China has aided Iran in missile technology, satellites, intelligence exchange, cybersecurity, and electronic warfare, with reports of arms sales of drones and shipments of sodium perchlorate used in solid rocket fuel.

BeiDou navigation access granted to Iran in 2021 is noted, along with China's role as Iran's largest trading partner and its help bypassing US sanctions.

It also describes Iran's Shahed drones, thousands of which were provided by Iran to Russia and subsequently used against Ukraine; the piece says Iran has used these drones and missiles to hit US, Israeli, and Gulf targets, while US and Israeli assessments claim most of Iran's missile stockpile has been destroyed, though Iran demonstrated continuing missiles targeting energy installations in Saudi and Qatar.

The article asserts that Russia and China are pleased to see American munitions depleted and that the US has moved assets to the Gulf, benefiting China; Moscow may be glad the US is preoccupied in the Middle East and cannot easily assist Ukraine.

It argues the war has helped Moscow profit from higher oil prices and sanctions relief on Russian oil; it suggests Beijing and Moscow would prefer a longer conflict to keep the US preoccupied, while European and Asian allies would like Trump focused on Ukraine and Taiwan prospects.

The article frames the long game as favorable to Beijing and Moscow: they would prefer the war to continue to keep the US tied to the Middle East, while Iran seems unlikely to collapse soon as it endures bombing and escalation.

It notes that Trump has stopped calling the conflict a 'little excursion' but still seeks an end, and argues that Moscow and Beijing have ensured Iran can sustain the conflict longer than anticipated.

“arrow-down comments printer search bell top-nav right-arrow left-arrow arrow-down Opinion | The Russia-China Axis That Has Made Iran So Difficult For Trump Iran's successful hitting of US military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf suggests that Russian help is much more than what Trump described as "a bit"”

NDTV

It concludes with a sense that Iran can persevere, and that Russia and China see strategic benefits in a drawn-out confrontation that distracts the US from European and Asian theaters.