Putin will be meeting with the Iranians next week, presumably to beg for drones and ways to escape sanctions. Since the Iranians obviously don’t need oil from him, the only thing he has to offer in return is diplomatic and military protection from Israel and the US–in particular, advanced Russian nuclear, missile, and anti-aircraft technology. If a deal of that sort is made, it will have far-reaching implications throughout the world.
My observations are as follows:
- The American New Right should find this meeting highly embarrassing; after all, they have historically viewed Muslims as the cultural enemy of Christian America. My guess is that they will blow it off; after all, the progressive left is the real enemy, and the ayatollahs, for all their faults, aren’t exactly woke. Bannon, Putin, and Ayatollah Khamenei have that in common.
- The transfer of state-of-the-art Russian missile and nuclear technology to Iran would be a game-changer. Iran would become, at a stroke, a truly existential threat (which it isn’t today) to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israel would have to strike before any new weapons become effective, and the US, in spite of Biden’s wish for peace, would have to assist. In short, it would mean war with Iran, and soon.
- War with Iran would infuriate the American left, but pacify some of the right. The domestic political calculus would change significantly, particularly if it happens before the election.
So, stay tuned!