Beware the birth of an alliance between Moscow and Tehran! Russia began to use Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine. And Iran has offered its financial networks to help Russia bypass sanctions, Western intelligence says..

Kremlin finds it hard to maintain offensive momentum in Ukraine after six months of violent conflict. And new Iranian aid could be a game-changer for him, American journalist and writer David Ignatius writes in an article for the Washington Post..

“This is not just a tactical alliance,” an unnamed official told the author..

China and India refused to sell weapons to Russia. Therefore, Iran can become a critical source of money and military equipment.. A U.S. intelligence official told Ignatius that Tehran " He may share his infrastructure with a network of shell companies and other financial institutions to help Moscow get rid of the influence of Western pressure.. Providing financial support to Russia will be even easier if restrictions against Tehran are lifted after the renewal of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

[see_also ids\u003d"

Intelligence told Ignatius that Iran had begun delivering hundreds of kamikaze drones to Russia to boost its depleted weapons stockpiles.. These drones most likely belong to the Shahid series, which also includes vehicles the size of American Predators.. Iran successfully used Shahids in Syria and Iraq. Tensions between the US and Iran escalate strongly, despite the fact that the countries are moving closer to renewing the nuclear agreement. On August 15, Tehran-controlled forces staged an attack on the American Al-Tanf base in southern Syria.. Not a single American was hurt. But it was a daring attack, to which the US Central Command responded with a " The base was used by groups associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps..

The Biden administration has been warning for more than a month about the threat that Iran will supply drones to Russia. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on July 15 that Iran is " The Russian delegation watched the "

[see_also ids\u003d"

Tehran quickly assured Ukraine's foreign minister that US warnings were false. But Russia hastened to send Iranian systems into the battlefield.

“Over the past few weeks, Russian officials have been training in Iran as part of an agreement to transfer drones,” the US National Security Council said..

Also this month, Russia launched the Iranian Khayyam satellite into orbit, which has “significant intelligence capabilities.”. To expand Russian-Iranian economic ties and build a network to circumvent sanctions, Russia sent representatives of the leadership of Gazprom and other companies to Tehran. Iranian economic officials also visited Moscow. The so-called "

Strengthening of Moscow's alliance with Tehran creates a new obstacle to the renewal of the nuclear agreement from 2015. US Officials Are Convinced Its Restrictions on Iranian Uranium Enrichment Will Enhance US and Israel Security. But Tehran is demanding concessions that go beyond the deal. And the Biden administration refuses to comply with them. Iran's most important demand is that the US convince the IAEA to stop investigation into clandestine Iranian nuclear facilities..

[see_also ids\u003d"

Ignatius writes that the agreement to buy Iranian drones shows how serious Russia's problems with the supply of weapons have become after six months of war against Ukraine.. Intelligence says Moscow initially hesitated whether to ask for help from Tehran, whose leaders it doesn't trust.. Russia also likes to think of itself as a "

“It says that the Russian side is so desperate that it has become dependent on the Iranians,” said an unnamed White House official..

Against the background of the flow of weapons to Ukraine from NATO countries, Moscow cannot afford the luxury of being picky. Its arrangements with Iran cover short-term needs, but put Russia in an even more isolated and dangerous position..