Iran 'bending over' Muscovy: Iranian Houthi proxies attack tankers with Russian oil to weaken its influence in the Middle East

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Putin's inability to control the situation in the Red Sea and protect the interests of Russian business seriously undermines trust in Russia as a “powerful state”. In this context, the influence of Iran is clearly visible, which is increasingly using the weakening of the Russian Federation for its own purposes.

Putin has become trapped by his own ambitions, seeking to dominate the world stage and undermine the Western order.

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This is written by “Observer“.

These ambitions have led to the creation of a complex network of alliances that do not always operate in a coordinated and predictable manner. In this regard, Iran, on the one hand, is an important partner for Russia, but on the other, it seeks to strengthen its own influence, especially in the Middle East.

Since late 2023, the Houthis, supported by Iran, have begun actively attacking ships in the Red Sea. Although these actions are officially presented as revenge against Israel for its operation in the Gaza Strip, in reality, tankers carrying Russian oil are increasingly being attacked. For example, on September 2, the Panamanian-flagged Blue Lagoon I tanker was attacked, and in late August, the Houthis tried to blow up the Greek tanker Sounion, which had Russians on board. These incidents indicate that The Houthis are acting on orders from Iran, using weapons possibly obtained from Russia, against Russian interests.

The Houthis, part of Tehran’s proxy group “Axis of Resistance,” which includes groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, have controlled much of northwestern Yemen since late 2015. The group is anti-Western and anti-Israeli, and is a powerful tool of Iranian influence in the region. Iran, in turn, is exploiting Russia’s current weakness to strengthen its political and economic position in the Middle East.

The attacks on tankers carrying Russian oil not only deal an economic blow to Moscow, but also signal that Tehran is the one capable of ensuring security in the Red Sea. This puts Russia in an extremely vulnerable position, demonstrating Putin’s inability to protect his geopolitical and economic interests.

It looks like an attempt Putin's efforts to strengthen his influence in the region have backfired – he has faced negative consequences, and this only strengthens Iran's positionIf this situation is not enough, the Houthis may obtain even more ammunition and “accidentally” hit more tankers carrying Russian oil, which will further complicate Russia’s situation.

As a result, having ceded leadership to China, Russia is now forced to fight for second place, especially in competition with Iran, which is actively creating its own network of influence in the Middle East. Although the strategic goals of Russia and Iran may temporarily coincide, their tactical approaches often diverge, which only adds tension to the already difficult relationship between the two countries.

In this context, the role of Israel and Ukraine becomes especially important. Israel, which has long opposed Iranian influence in the region, now sees Tehran strengthening its position at the expense of Russia’s weakness. This may mean that Israel’s strategy in the region needs to be reconsidered. Ukraine, in turn, is watching this process with concern, as Russia, which is already waging war on Ukrainian territory, now finds itself in an even more difficult international situation. This creates additional risks for Ukraine, as the strengthening of Iran and its allies, such as the Houthis, could lead to a further escalation of the situation in the Middle East, which would indirectly affect Ukrainian interests.

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