US-Iran Conflict Escalates as Russia Supplies Tehran with Advanced Missile Tech

The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has escalated into a potentially long-lasting war. The Trump administration's decision to launch fresh strikes on Iran in August, after nearly a month of relative quiet, was met with retaliation from Tehran. The US had initially started the war along with Israel on February 28 this year, targeting Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which caused oil prices to spike and global shortages of essential goods like fertilizer.

Russia has been supplying Iran with intelligence used to target American forces in the Gulf. It is also involved in bilateral developments of Shahed guided missiles and helping Tehran develop ramjet technology for fast and low-flying cruise missiles that can bypass US air defence systems. Additionally, Russia is a key partner in Iran's civilian nuclear energy programme.

The conflict has further weakened the influence of the US across the Middle East, where its close alliance with Israel is seen as a liability. The frontline states are now in the Arabian Gulf, with the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain, vast air assets in the UAE and Qatar, Jordan hosting air defence systems, and long-term special forces deployments.