Arsenal of autocracy

As war rages in Israel and Ukraine, Iran is supplying both Hamas and Russia with weaponry, especially combat drones. And for decades now, it has armed Islamist militants across the Middle East that target American troops, including at least 45 service members injured by 38 drone attacks since Oct. 17.

If the United States wants to reestablish global security and end the conflicts in these regions, it will need to understand the military connections among adversaries and work to subvert them.

THE RED-GREEN ALLIANCE AGAINST THE WEST

In recent weeks, especially since Hamas launched its sickening assault on Israel, Iran has ramped up its public displays of affection toward Russia, inviting leaders from Moscow into the heart of the country. In September, for instance, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Tehran to inspect production lines for unmanned aerial vehicles and declared that “Russian-Iranian interaction is reaching a new level.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently journeyed there to strengthen ties between the regimes. All this is happening, of course, while Vladimir Putin’s regime insists that Israel and the U.S. are really to blame for Hamas’s horrific attacks.

This article appeared in print in the Washington Examiner on December 19. Read more here.