On the face of it, Russia has so much to lose. Iran has been a particularly useful “strategic partner” for the Kremlin, not only sharing a disdain for Western values and influence, but also supplying the Russian military with vast squadrons of Shahed aerial drones, enabling the relentless bombardment of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has revealed a fundamental truth of modern conflict: resources are everything. Even as the battlefield shifted into a new era of drone

Launching weapons from within their territory forces adversaries to look not only outward but also inside for threats, one expert said.