Putin tells the Middle East to pull back from a catastrophic clash

Reuters, April 16, 2024

Event

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged all sides in the Middle East to refrain from action that would trigger a new confrontation which he warned would be fraught with catastrophic consequences for the region, the Kremlin said.

Putin, who has forged much closer ties with the Islamic Republic since sending troops into Ukraine in 2022, spoke to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi by phone about what the Kremlin called “retaliatory measures taken by Iran.” Putin, in his first publicly aired comments on Iran’s attack, said the root cause of the current instability in the Middle East was the unresolved conflict between Palestinians and Israel.

“Ebrahim Raisi noted that Iran’s actions were forced and limited in nature,”

the Kremlin said.

“At the same time, he stressed Tehran’s disinterest in further escalation of tensions.”

Iranian state media quoted Putin as characterising Tehran’s response to Israel as the best way to punish the aggressor and a manifestation of the wisdom of Iran’s leaders.

Comment

Putin is now fully allied to Iran because of the Ukraine war. Russia is dependent on Iranian drones and both countries have signed military contracts to work together. The Bible says that Iran will be allied to Russia AND that Russia acts as a guard (protector) of Iran. There are a number of reasons why Putin actually welcomes Middle East destabilisation. The main reason is that it draws attention away from Ukraine at a time when Russia is considering using even worse weapons in the conflict to bring things to a head. It also diverts Western resource, time and energy away from Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank. Finally, it helps Putin enter the Middle East as a negotiator who has influence and must be listened to. Putin has more to gain than lose over this conflict.

Bible quote

‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 38:7-8 NIV)

Weekly World Watch, Andy Walton