The British-based “Iran International” website raised awareness among its audience of an article in Iranian media that angrily asked why Russia doesn’t ever stop Israel’s strikes against the IRGC in Syria. This came after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Top influencers in the Alt-Media Community (AMC) used to routinely lie that Russia will shoot down Israeli jets “the next time” that they attack, only to be made fools of literally hundreds of times, hence why they stopped talking about this.
It was explained here in February 2021 that Russia doesn’t regard itself as having any mutual defense commitments to either Syria or Iran. The Kremlin therefore always stands aside whenever Israeli and American jets bomb targets in the Arab Republic. Such was the case in early February when Israel bombed Syria via the Golan Heights, which presaged its passive reaction when Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus two months later. Nobody, not least the Iranians, should have been surprised.
Nevertheless, precisely because top AMC influencers were so persuasive in the prior disinformation campaign over the years falsely claiming that Russia and Iran are “allies” (with the innuendo being that President Putin is a secret “anti-Zionist”), many people remain confused about the Kremlin’s policy. It’s difficult for them to accept that the Russian leader has a proud lifelong track record of philo-Semitism, which was documented here citing the official Kremlin website, when they themselves despise Israel.
Some who’ve soured on Russia over the years after growing frustrated with its lack of any tangible response whatsoever to Israel’s hundreds of strikes against Syria suspect that “Zionists” control that country’s foreign policy. That couldn’t be further from the truth, however, since Russia simply prioritizes what its policymakers regard as their country’s objective national interests over all else. In the West Asian context, that’s maintaining cordial ties with Israel and not being dragged into a regional war.
Unlike many members of the AMC, Russia has no “activist” agenda. While it shares their support of an independent Palestinian state within its pre-1967 borders and publicly criticizes Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinians, it’s not going to risk its aforesaid interests by punishing Israel for refusing to implement relevant UNSC resolutions or violating international law with its strikes on Syria. The most that it’ll do is have its diplomats complain, but it won’t shoot down any attacking jets.
Those who continue clinging to false hopes of a tangible Russian response to continued Israeli attacks against Syria are setting themselves up for a deep disappointment that might in turn make them susceptible to the kooky conspiracy theory that Russia “sold out to the Zionists” or whatever. It’s better for folks to accept reality as it objectively exists and acknowledge why Russia always stands aside whenever Israel and the US attack Syria even if they disagree with this position.
As the world braces for Iran’s retaliation to Israel’s bombing of its consulate in Damascus, nobody should have any false expectations about Russia’s Syrian-based air defense systems intercepting Israeli aircraft or missiles that might be used to attack the Islamic Republic or its assets in Syria in response. Precedent proves that Russia will do everything possible to avoid being dragged into a regional war, which would certainly include standing aside if all hell is about to break loose.
