TEHRAN – Israel and the United States have escalated their economic, military and diplomatic coercion campaign against Iran, with a focus in recent days on weakening China and Russia, two of the country’s biggest allies, who provide economic and diplomatic support against external threats and may provide military aid to Iran in the future.
As U.S.-Russian relations become tense over the Ukraine war, Israel has taken on a mission to influence Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Official statements only mention discussions about Gaza and Iran’s nuclear program, but media reports say Netanyahu’s main objective was to pressure Putin to end aid to Iran.
During the 12-day war with Israel in June, Iran did not request military assistance from Russia and China, which the Tehran Times understands was aimed at demonstrating to the Iranian regime and its patron the United States that it could effectively defend itself. However, it is now believed that the Iranian government may seek certain military assets in preparation for a possible future Israeli and American invasion, particularly in areas where it has previously perceived deficiencies.
Iran inflicted severe and devastating damage on Israel and the United States during the war thanks to its formidable missiles, and analysts suggest that Iran needs to further strengthen its air defense systems. It is not yet clear whether Iran has formally requested military assistance, but an official in Iran’s air defense forces told the Tehran Times that the country is rapidly correcting weaknesses.
Reports describing the involvement of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Putin are contradictory. Some claim he used previous close ties to make his point, while others believe the Israeli war criminal threatened to step up military aid to Ukraine if Russia decided to support Iran.
“The relationship between Iran and Russia is one of strategic importance. The recently entered into force Bilateral Comprehensive Agreement clearly demonstrates this fact,” said Russia expert Ruhollah Modavar. “We do not believe that Israel can destroy this relationship. Iran-Russia relations will not be changed by a third party.”
Putin later said he had been asked by Israeli leaders to convey to Iran that they did not seek further confrontation and wanted a de-escalation of tensions. “We continue to have trust-based contacts with Israel and have received signals from the Israeli leadership asking us to convey to our friends in Iran that Israel intends and is determined to further resolve this issue and is not interested in any form of confrontation,” he said in a speech at the Central Asia-Russia Summit in Dushanbe on Thursday.
China takes “necessary measures” in response to US sanctions against Iran
The United States and Israel have consistently adopted a more assertive approach when trying to influence China, Iran’s other major ally. Similarly, the United States on Thursday imposed additional sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, targeting 10 individuals, 49 companies, and 34 vessels accused of facilitating Iranian crude oil and petrochemical exports. That included independent Chinese refineries and oil terminals allegedly involved in processing and transporting Iranian oil products, Washington said.
Earlier on the same day, the US Department of Commerce added 29 new companies to its restricted list for supporting Iran’s military plans, including 16 companies and three addresses in China, nine companies in Turkey, and 11 companies in the United Arab Emirates.
China will act to protect its companies from the impact of new U.S. regulations targeting Chinese refineries and dozens of entities allegedly involved in trading Iranian crude, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
“China calls on the United States to stop using sanctions as a means of pressure,” Guo said. “We will take all necessary measures to ensure that the legitimate rights of Chinese companies and Chinese citizens are protected and to safeguard energy security.”
This is the fourth round of sanctions under President Trump targeting Chinese refineries that continue to purchase Iranian crude oil.
Despite years of sanctions, Iran has maintained oil exports through alternative channels and by leveraging Asian buyers, especially China, its largest customer. The United States is escalating its pressure campaign against Iran’s energy sector, targeting Iran’s global supply chains and maritime networks.
All of this is part of a US pressure campaign against Iran that includes reinstating sanctions under the so-called snapback mechanism, a settlement mechanism originally adopted to resolve differences over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Under the JCPOA, Iran accepted limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. The agreement was approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which set a final expiration date of October 2025 for all nuclear-related measures.
Iran has consistently argued that the United States, even under the Obama administration, failed to protect its side of the deal by blocking Iran’s access to economic interests. The situation worsened further in 2018 when the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
In response, after waiting for more than a year for Europe to fulfill its commitments, Iran began to gradually reduce its obligations under the agreement, while maintaining that its actions were reversible within the JCPOA’s legal framework.
The October 2025 deadline meant the end of a decade of nuclear conflict and the normalization of Iran’s nuclear status. However, E3’s decision to trigger the snapback mechanism effectively blocks that process.
Iran argues that reducing commitments is a legitimate response to non-compliance by Western countries, and that the E3 therefore has no legal basis to invoke this mechanism. Russia, China and several other countries support Iran’s position, denying the legitimacy of new anti-Iranian sanctions.