In an interview with Russian state-controlled media during an official visit to Moscow, senior Iranian diplomat Seyed Abbas Araghchi asserted that Iran is fully prepared to repel any Israeli or American military action, while highlighting the unprecedented level of cooperation between Iran and Russia. His statements reflect a broader regional context, where Iran continues to build alliances to counter mounting Western and Israeli pressure over its expanding regional activities and nuclear ambitions.
Araghchi, deputy to Iran’s Foreign Minister, spoke to Rossiya Segodnya/RT on the sidelines of multilateral talks in Moscow, where strategic coordination between Iran and Russia featured prominently. Speaking candidly, Araghchi dismissed Israel’s credibility as a military threat to Iran, framing the Islamic Republic as capable of defending itself against even the most advanced American forces, and therefore necessarily invulnerable to Israeli operations.
The interview, consistent with Tehran’s longstanding messaging, was significant for its confirmation of the deepening Iran-Russia partnership. Araghchi stated that the relationship has reached unprecedented strength, anticipating further consolidation once the recently signed strategic cooperation agreement takes full effect. This emerging pact, covering security, energy, infrastructure, and technology, is widely viewed by analysts as part of both countries’ efforts to withstand Western sanctions regimes and project influence across the wider Middle East and Eurasia.
From Moscow’s perspective, Iran offers an important strategic counterweight to Western influence and is a valued supplier of drones and munitions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In return, Russia’s advanced air defense systems, intelligence, and economic cooperation help the Iranian regime resist international pressure and maintain its nuclear and missile programs. Western officials have noted the exchange of military technologies that bolster Iran’s capabilities and allow the Kremlin to circumvent sanctions targeting its own military-industrial base.
As Iran-Russia ties deepen, the region faces continuing instability fomented by Iranian-backed terror proxies, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and various Syrian and Iraqi militias. The October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of innocent Israeli civilians—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—was facilitated by Iranian financial and material support to its terrorist proxies. This attack triggered Israel’s ongoing Iron Swords war, a campaign of self-defense designed to disarm Hamas, free the remaining hostages held illegally in Gaza, and deter broader Iranian aggression.
Iran’s regional strategy hinges on a supported network of non-state militias—which pose an ongoing existential threat to Israel—and is underpinned by growing diplomatic support from Moscow. Araghchi praised Russia’s role in United Nations Security Council negotiations, noting that Moscow’s veto power has prevented the expansion of international sanctions against Iran on several occasions. This alliance, Iranian officials argue, shields Tehran from the kind of global isolation that might curb its regional conduct or nuclear progress. Western observers and Israeli security officials continue to warn that Russia’s cover at the UN complicates efforts to counter Iranian destabilization across the Middle East.
The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, maintains that an Iranian nuclear weapon remains an unacceptable threat to the existence of the Jewish state. Israeli intelligence and military planners routinely assess the feasibility of preemptive actions against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and missile development facilities, as well as ongoing covert efforts to degrade Tehran’s capabilities through targeted operations.
In response to Araghchi’s comments, Israeli analysts point to a long track record of successful operations that have thwarted Iranian ambitions, from the airstrikes on Syria’s and Iraq’s nuclear reactors to sabotage and cyber-attacks within Iran’s borders. These missions demonstrate Israel’s extensive reach and operational capability, despite Iranian claims of invulnerability. IDF preparedness includes multi-theater readiness, with significant investments in air power, missile defense networks like Iron Dome and Arrow, as well as joint military exercises with Israeli and Western allies simulating strikes against hardened, distant targets.
Iran’s assertion of defensive superiority is also a domestic message, intended to reassure a population weary of economic hardship and political unrest. Nevertheless, international signals regarding the inviolability of Iran are meant to deter Israel and the United States from considering military options should diplomacy fail to restrain Tehran’s nuclear advances or diminish its regional proxy campaigns.
Russian support for Iran is reconfiguring the international environment. Western policymakers now assess the potential for Iran to weather more severe sanctions and acquire new strategic technologies. Meanwhile, Iran’s supply of drones and missiles has become essential for Russian operations against Ukraine, drawing tighter mutual dependence between Moscow and Tehran.
As diplomatic negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue with the involvement of Russia and European powers, Araghchi’s remarks signal Tehran’s determination to advance its interests under the protection of a strengthened alliance. For Israel, and regional allies, maintaining security now hinges on countering not just Iran’s own capabilities but the growing support it receives from Moscow.
Ultimately, Araghchi’s interview embodies the increasing polarization of Middle Eastern power dynamics: Iran, more confident in the shielding effects of Russian partnership, continues its support for terror groups waging war against Israel across multiple arenas. Israeli policy remains firm—no scenario will be tolerated that allows Iran to realize its nuclear ambitions or consolidate regional dominance through a web of terrorist proxies. As regional tensions rise and major powers deepen their alignments, the stakes of the conflict—and Israel’s corresponding security imperatives—remain clear.
