Putin’s Top Defense Officials Are In Tehran Amid Countdown To Zero Hour

On Monday as the Middle East approaches zero hour of Iran’s expected major retaliation attack on Israel, there is a Russian defense delegation in Tehran, and a US defense delegation in Tel Aviv. How is that for symmetry among enemies? 

Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s ex-Defense Minister and current national Security Council secretary, is meeting with senior Iranian military and security officials, as well as newly sworn-in president Masoud Pezeshkian.

Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency described the focus of the talks as “strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of spheres including security” – and the meetings come amid growing speculation that Russia is actively helping the Islamic Republic to thwart potential Israeli attacks.

Russia has “strongly condemned” the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday. Iran considered the brazen act as tantamount to assassinating an official head of state while on an official visit. President Pezeshkian has meanwhile hailed Moscow as a “valued strategic ally.”

There has of late been much speculation that President Putin is ready to give greater support to America’s rivals and enemies in the Middle East as ‘payback’ for Washington’s support to Ukraine over the past more than two years.

Also on Monday, the Israeli military confirmed that head of US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, is in the country to assess the security situation against the backdrop of the potential attack from Iran.

Kurilla met with Israeli army chief, Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, and “held a joint situational assessment on security and strategic issues, as well as joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East,” according to a statement carried in Israeli press.

Both Israel and Iran have been rallying global allies to their respective sides. Iran on Monday announced it has called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the assassination of Haniyeh and to gain support for a military response. That meeting is planned for Wednesday.

Quite the split-screen today: pic.twitter.com/kl6JmZYpLQ

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) August 5, 2024

The Guardian has said Tehran officials will at the meeting attempt convince Arab nations to give political backing to its right of retribution. This strongly suggests in the meantime that a major attack likely won’t come Monday or Tuesday, but the anticipation could stretch into later this week.

The same publication notes that Biden is “due to meet his national security team in Washington at 2.15 pm local time, approximately 10pm in Tehran, by which time it is likely to be clear if Iran is planning to launch an attack overnight.”