... Iran together, there is probably a difference in their perspectives on the goals of the current conflict
This wave of escalation would be distinct from its predecessors in 2024 and 2025, as was evident from the early hours of the joined American and Israeli strikes on Iran on the morning of February 28, 2026. The reason for this discrepancy is that
49 senior regime leaders were killed
in the initial strikes of Operation Epic Fury, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his advisor and head of the Defence Council Ali ...
... first round of the conflict suggest the following preliminary balance of gains and losses for the key participants.
Ivan Timofeev:
The Iranian Crisis and Russia: Seven Lessons
Israel
The country is at the forefront of the military operation against Iran. For Israel, the attack on Iran is a logical continuation of the long and irreconcilable struggle between the two countries. Israel has already achieved a number of successes, including last year’s strikes on Iranian military targets and numerous intelligence ...
... members of the UN Security Council. Both advocate multipolarity and a rebalancing of global governance structures.
For Moscow, instability in the Middle East carries both risks and leverage. Russia maintains relationships across the region, including with Iran, Israel, and Arab states. For Beijing, energy security and trade stability are paramount; conflict threatens both.
Rather than viewing Russia and China purely as counterweights to Washington, it may be more accurate to see them as stakeholders in systemic ...
... arguments can be made in favour of a military scenario being likely. First of all, the US has very specific motives for conducting an operation at this particular moment. Iran has been one of Washington's key and consistent adversaries for over forty years. Iran's relations with Israel, a key US ally in the region, are even more acrimonious. The two allies assume that Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons for many years. The successful example of North Korea, which has become a de facto nuclear power, is an important example ...
... the entire region.
Debate over the causes of the new military phase of the YC spans a broad spectrum of interpretations: from assertions that Houthi actions pose threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and that the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran endangers Israel’s security, to the opposite accusations directed at the United States and Israel, of aggressive policies and the obstruction of a lawful settlement in Gaza. For the purposes of studying the anatomy of the Yemeni crisis, it is important to emphasize ...
... security landscape. The attacks have called into question the fundamental strategic presumptions that have served as the foundation for Gulf Arab state security doctrines for the past fifty years. With unpredicted consequences, such as divergent views of Israel and Iran, this is also compelling introspection at a challenging moment for the larger region.
Entanglement or Empowerment? New Security Paradigm for Gulf States
Extra-Regional Actors in the Middle East. RIAC Report
For decades, the fundamental strategic ...
...
Yet, political divergence has consistently surfaced. Azerbaijan’s secular, nationalist orientation, closely aligned with the West and Turkey, contrasts sharply with Iran’s religious governance model and its anti-Western stance. As tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, Tehran grew increasingly wary of Baku’s deepening ties with Tel Aviv, particularly in the defense and intelligence sectors.
From an Iranian perspective, Azerbaijan is no longer just a neighbor—it has become what some in Tehran describe ...
... Israel to missile attacks (Operation Truthful Promise 3). On the night of June 22, the United States supported Israel by striking Iranian nuclear facilities, likely destroying them completely by using GBU-57 MOP bombs weighing 13.6 tons each. On June 24, Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire.
Israel's attack was preceded by the IAEA's May 31, 2025 quarterly report, “Verification and Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Light of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015),” and the June 12, 2025 Resolution ...
... Ukraine and the West. As a result, the European alliances that developed following the Israeli strike on Iran seem to be comparable to those that developed on October 7, 2023, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. By establishing a front with a shared enemy, Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was able to partially mend fences with his friends in European nations and prevent European pressure on Israel to halt the assault in Gaza. It is obvious that an Israeli attack on Iran may devalue humanitarian ...
... decisive operations with far-reaching, long-term consequences. In contrast, the Ukraine-Russia conflict increasingly resembles a drawn-out war of attrition, with no clear end in sight.
2. Technology and Tactics
Basel Haj Jasem:
No Peace, Just Pause: Iran and Israel's Fragile Standoff
Iran’s use of precision-guided missiles, suicide drones, and coordinated cyberattacks positioned the conflict firmly within the realm of modern hybrid warfare. This stands in contrast to the Gaza wars, where unguided rockets ...
