Yes: „Strikes from Iranian air base show Russia’s expanding footprint in the Middle East.“
ISTANBUL — Russian bombers flying from an Iranian air base struck rebel targets across Syria on Tuesday, Russian and Iranian officials said, dramatically underscoring the two countries’ growing military ties and highlighting Russia’s ambitions for greater influence in a turbulent Middle East.
The long-range Tu-22 bombers took off from a base near Hamadan in western Iran and launched raids in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Idlib, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the bombers were accompanied by Russian fighter jets based in Syria.
Not good.
An expanding Russian „footprint“ expands at our expense; either we shrink to accommodate it, or the two inevitably collide.
Putin has very deftly maneuvered his country into a position of strength, and potentially still greater strength, in the Middle East. If he succeeds in cleaving Turkey from NATO, achieving regime survival in Syria and getting cozier with Iran, all the while slowly beating Ukraine down, menacing the Baltic states and keeping a distracted NATO on edge, then what results?
Fundamental strategic transformation, that’s what.
And we seem to be unwilling or incapable of doing anything about. It will be done at our expense, and it will hurt. Russia plays to win and to dominate. I don’t know what the hell we’re doing.
keydet1976
Seems the only folks concerned are the Israelis and Chicoms. I wonder what the economists are saying about the pending closure of markets in the Med and Eurasia?
LikenLiken
I wouldn’t worry about colliding. We will shrink to let the Russians have it. Sort of a Cold War „re-set“, yanno? Capitalism and liberty weren’t sposta win. Or haven’t you been listening to George Soros?
Oh, and remember how Iran and Russia supposedly were no longer allies or even friends? Yes, that was all part of the narrative of Putin’s „overreach“ which would lead to his demise. The delusional wishful thinking of the far-left weaklings. Putin knows we haven’t the will to challenge him anywhere. And he knows also that soon, we will no longer have the means.
Transformation. Into a second-rate power.
LikenLiken
Flying over Iraq and Turkey…
LikenLiken