The Real Winner of the Iran War

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

There is a peculiar pattern to Donald Trump’s foreign policy. On the surface, it always looks chaotic but if you zoom out just a little, the beneficiaries become clearer.

And as always, the biggest beneficiary is the man sitting in the Kremlin.

At first blush, the U.S. war with Iran appears to be the opposite of doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding. Iran is, after all, Moscow’s closest Middle Eastern ally. Tehran has supplied Russia with drones used to bombard Ukrainian cities, and the two governments have steadily deepened military and intelligence ties since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In recent years, Iran has become one of Russia’s most important military partners in its war against Ukraine, supplying weapons, technology, and logistical support that have helped sustain Moscow’s battlefield operations. Most notably, Tehran has provided thousands of Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones, which Russia has used extensively to strike Ukrainian cities, infrastructure, and energy facilities since 2022. Russia has launched more than 8,000 Iranian-developed drones during the war, using them in mass attacks designed to overwhelm air defenses. These relatively cheap drones allow Russia to conserve more expensive missiles while still carrying out long-range strikes on civilian and military targets.

https://saltypolitics.substack.com/p/the-real-winner-of-the-iran-war

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. MaddowBlog-Team Trump says (and does) all the wrong things as Russia helps Iran during the U.S. war

As Russia provides intelligence that could put Americans at risk, the White House responds by easing Russian oil sanctions.

Problem: Team Trump shrugging with indifference as Russia provides Iran with intelligence that could put Americans at risk.

Bigger problem: Team Trump providing Russia with sanctions relief as it provides Iran with intelligence that could put Americans at risk.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-09T19:13:44.138Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/team-trump-says-and-does-all-the-wrong-things-as-russia-helps-iran-during-the-u-s-war

MS NOW reported over the weekend that Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Iranian forces strike American ships, aircraft and bases in the region, according two U.S. officials, one whom said point-blank, “Russia is providing intelligence help to Iran.”

The Associated Press and The Washington Post had related reports, with the latter noting, “The assistance … signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker pressed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on this, and he made no effort to deny the accuracy of the reporting, emphasizing that Iran’s “strategic partnership” with Russia is “not a secret.”.....

If we were to stop here, it would be a striking story about a Republican administration that has expressed little more than indifference to serious allegations. But as it turns out, Team Trump isn’t just shrugging its shoulders about Russia’s aid to Iran during the war, it’s also taking steps that would benefit Russia as it aids Iran during the war. Reuters reported:

Trump administration ​officials on Sunday defended a decision to temporarily lift some sanctions on Russian oil and predicted that a sharp increase in ‌gasoline prices resulting from the Iran war would last only weeks.

Appearing on multiple TV talk shows, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said a waiver issued last week to allow Indian purchases of Russian oil would alleviate pressure on the global market.

(It’s worth noting for context that Trump has publicly boasted about getting India to stop buying Russian oil, including at a White House press conference in late February. So much for that idea.)....

Around the same time, on “Meet the Press,” Welker asked the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations about why the Republican administration would choose to help Russia right now.

“I wouldn’t characterize it that way,” Waltz replied.

WELKER: Why is Trump helping Russia in this moment?

WALTZ:I wouldn't characterize it that way

WELKER: How else would you describe easing oil sanctions?

WALTZ: It's common sense to allow oil sitting on ships to go to India

WELKER: Russia will be getting that money as it wages its war in Ukraine

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-08T14:17:27.030Z

.....This hasn’t gone unnoticed on Capitol Hill.

“Russia is our adversary,” Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told MS NOW last week. “They hate us and what the U.S. stands for. The White House has had a moral blindness when it comes to Putin and Russia.”

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, a former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, added, “This is an intolerable escalation by the Kremlin — one they must come to deeply regret. I call on the administration to impose swift and severe consequences for this blatant attempt to endanger American lives.”

The White House appears to have come to the opposite conclusion.

[RussBLib]

2. will we EVER get to the bottom of the Trump/Putin relationship?

...we still do not fully understand WTF is going on between them. Is Trump a Russian asset? Maybe. Does Putin have some kompromat on Trump? Maybe? Was Putin supplying honeypots to Trump and Epstein? Maybe.

We know SOMEthing is going on. I hope we get to the bottom of it before Trump strokes out.

https://russblib.blogspot.com

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. MaddowBlog-White House's Witkoff vouches for Russia's trustworthiness on Iran and alleged war assistance

Confronted with evidence of Russia aiding Iran, Team Trump has shrugged, boosted Russia’s economy and vouched for Moscow’s reliability.

"Witkoff’s on-air comments came a day after Trump said that he had a 'positive call' with Putin and that the Russian leader 'wants to be helpful' and 'very constructive.'

The American president didn’t specify for whom Putin wants to be helpful and constructive."

— Khashoggi's Ghost (@urocklive1.bsky.social) 2026-03-11T20:34:26.586Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-witkoff-vouches-for-russias-trustworthiness-on-iran-and-alleged-war-assistance

There’s ample speculation as to how this happened, but it’s hard to overlook the reports from multiple news organizations, including MS NOW, over the weekend that Russia had provided Iran with information that could help it strike American targets. One U.S. official told MS NOW point-blank, “Russia is providing intelligence help to Iran.”.....

In the wake of the reporting, the president and his team not only expressed public indifference to the news that Russia was assisting Iran, the Republican administration also extended a new reward to Vladimir Putin’s regime, temporarily easing oil sanctions on the country.

If that weren’t quite enough, one of the key figures on Trump’s foreign policy team went even further on Tuesday. MS NOW reported that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff appeared on CNBC and emphasized that Russian officials have denied the allegations.

Witkoff said Russian officials told President Donald Trump on a call [Monday] that ‘they have not been sharing’ the information.

Witkoff added that Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, ‘reiterated the same’ on a call with himself and Jared Kushner, one of Trump’s sons-in-law, whom the president named as a ‘special peace envoy.’

Witkoff went on to say of the Russian officials, “We can take them at their word.”

QUINTANILLA: Do we think the Russians have shared intel about US military assets, and if so, why would we be giving waivers on oil sanctions?

WITKOFF: I can tell you that on the call with POTUS, the Russians said they have not been sharing. That's what they said. We can take them at their word.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-10T16:08:53.733Z

So as far as Team Trump is concerned, when confronted with evidence that Russia is aiding Iran during the war, the proper response is to (a) shrug; (b) boost Russia’s economy; and (c) vouch for Moscow’s trustworthiness.

Witkoff’s on-air comments came a day after Trump said that he had a “positive call” with Putin and that the Russian leader “wants to be helpful” and “very constructive.”

The American president didn’t specify for whom Putin wants to be helpful and constructive.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware appeared on MS NOW this week and said, “The clearest winner from this war in Iran is Russia.” Soon after, The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin “can barely conceal a smirk” as the war continues.