Russian Backing for Iran and Syria

For What and for How Long

Dmitry Medvedev behind 'Russian Federation' plate, courtesy of UN Photo/flickr

Dmitry Medvedev addressing the UN Security Council

Russia has in practice served as the gatekeeper of international pressures on Iran and Syria. These nations, along with Hezbollah and Hamas, constitute the Middle East's anti-Western “axis of evil,” dedicated to a global struggle to promote its members' radical agenda. However, it is necessary to distinguish between two current issues: international pressure on Syria in the wake of its brutal suppression of the popular uprising, and developments stemming from the publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report on Iran’s nuclear program.

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