The current conflict between Israel and Iran presents russia with challenges and opportunities, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Russia is under no formal obligation to provide Iran with any military assistance in its conflict with Israel. The russia-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in January 2025 covers cooperation across a range of areas including, defense and security, but does not include a mutual-defense clause. This is in contrast with russia's agreements with both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Belarus.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Reports on russia's Silent Casualties
Russia almost certainly perceives some benefit in the conflict as it distracts international focus from its war against Ukraine.
However, the conflict will likely negatively impact the future provision of Iranian military equipment to russia. Iran has supplied significant quantities of one-way attack unmanned aerial systems (OWA UAS), provided extensive support to Russian OWA UAS domestic production, and supplied ballistic missiles and artillery munitions in support of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As Defense Express previously reported, open-source reporting indicates a significant increase in the number of prosthetic limbs being issued in russia. Based on data cited from russia's Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, russians with disabilities reportedly received 152,500 artificial limbs in 2024, a 53% increase on 2023, including a 75% increase in the issuance of arm prosthetics. The number of wheelchairs issued was also reported to have increased by 18% in the same period.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: Over Half of North Korean Troops Deployed to russia's Kursk Region Have Likely Become Casualties
