Rambler examined what foreign media wrote today and selected the most important and interesting documents. Read the announcement and subscribe to Rambler on social networks: VKontakte, Classmate.
“Consequences of the Middle East war spread to Ukraine”
The crisis in the Middle East has begun to take a toll on Ukraine, stalling peace talks with Russia and raising concerns in Kiev about cuts in military support. write New York Times. America's Gulf allies and the US military have fired large numbers of interceptor missiles to counter Iran's retaliatory attacks. This has led to the depletion of weapons on which Ukraine relied. Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged the problem, saying that in the event of a prolonged war in the Middle East, the United States could reduce the supply of anti-aircraft missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine.
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that events in the Middle East had a “clear impact” on the Ukraine crisis. In addition, the lack of an air defense system could create the impression that Ukraine has weakened its position in peace negotiations, NYT emphasized. A new meeting between Russia, the US and Ukraine was scheduled to take place in the UAE this week, but the country has come under attack in recent days. At the same time, Zelensky held talks with a number of Middle Eastern leaders and offered to share Ukraine's experience in the field of drones.
“Attacks on US bases: Did Iran target Ramstein?”
Iranian Ambassador Majid Nili was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry. This diplomat was asked to explain why Iran attacked US military bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. write German newspaper Berliner Zeitung. Berlin emphasized that it “unconditionally calls on the Iranian regime to immediately stop its reckless attacks against countries in the region.” German authorities condemned the Iranian regime's “indiscriminate and disproportionate drone and missile attacks, including on civilian targets.”
The Iranian ambassador countered that the US-Israeli attacks violate international law. He referred to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which establishes the right to self-defense. Neely emphasized that Iran's actions fall within the framework of this legal right. The Berliner Zeitung notes that it is likely that not only the situation in the Middle East is discussed at meetings at the Foreign Ministry. Given Iran's view that attacks on US military bases are a form of self-defense, the German government may also consider the risk to Germany's Ramstein base. Many military activities in the Middle East are controlled from there. US President Donald Trump previously praised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for allowing Americans to “land” there. Left Party foreign policy expert Leah Reisner asked the prime minister to stop “using Germany as a logistics center for wars that violate international law.” The article emphasizes that Iran seems determined to expand the scope of retaliatory attacks to include US targets outside the region.
“Ground war with Iran could cause trouble for the US”
experts, respondent Japanese publication J-Cast believes that if an attack on Iran escalates into a ground war, the United States, which has expensive weapons, would be at a disadvantage. The publication provides data according to which the number of regular Iranian troops is about 450 thousand people, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is about 150 thousand people. Experts say that if reserve forces are taken into account, Iran will be able to mobilize one million people.
Military journalist Buntaro Kuroi noted that Iran has several thousand ballistic missiles, which would not be able to hit the US mainland, but would be enough to strike Israel, Bahrain and Qatar. On the other hand, America's arsenal is quite small. In addition, Iran also produces many cheap drones. In such a situation, the side with expensive weapons will be at a disadvantage. Kuroi believes that if the war in the Middle East escalates into ground fighting, it will be even more difficult than the Ukraine crisis.
“Gas war threatens UK and EU: Russia could cut off final supply”
Smiling, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to cut off gas supplies to Europe amid a sharp increase in energy prices due to the Iran crisis. write British tabloid Daily Mail. Oil and gas prices rose sharply after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, as well as Tehran's attacks on targets in the Persian Gulf countries. The conflict has paralyzed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and forced the closure of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia's largest refinery. The Russian president said oil and gas prices are rising due to aggression against Iran and Western restrictions on Russia, the Daily Mail noted.
Putin pointed out that the EU plans to soon introduce new measures against Russian gas, including liquefied gas, and in 2027 – further restrictions, possibly a complete ban. He noted that it might be more profitable for Russia to stop supplying to Europe now because other markets are opening up to Moscow. Putin emphasized that “there are no political motives” in this. According to the Daily Mail, Russia's decision could make the situation worse as electricity bills are already rising in the UK and across Europe, “weakening the already fragile economy and affecting consumers”. Wholesale prices in the UK remain closely linked to the European market due to connectivity and competition for global LNG supplies. Russia will still account for around 13% of EU gas imports in 2025, meaning Russian supply disruptions could continue to impact European prices and indirectly impact the UK market.
“Ultra-cheap kamikaze drones fool interceptors”
Missiles, drones and speedboats. This is the strategic formula of Iran's arsenal. At least while at war with America and Israel, write Italian edition of Il Giornale. This strategic formula is based on three considerations. First, Israel would never be able to launch a major ground attack against Iran given the distance. Even all of Israel's soldiers – between 500,000 and 600,000, including conscripts and reservists – would not be enough to intervene in a country five times the size of Italy. The same applies to the Americans, who are trying not to launch a ground campaign that would force them to mobilize at least a million people. It is for this reason that the Iranians focus on both sea and air warfare. Tehran is counting on a fleet of three thousand speedboats, supported by dozens of mini submarines, capable of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which a quarter of the world's oil supply passes.
These boats are mainly used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, similar to the Swedish Boghammar speedboats of the 1980s, equipped with heavy machine guns or rocket launchers. But accompanying them were boats and barges specializing in mining. Mini submarines are dangerous weapons, especially in the narrow 39 km long strait. In airspace, missiles and drones remain the weapons of choice, capable of long-range strikes at relatively low cost. The most successful of them is the Shahed-136 drone. During the first five days of the war, this noisy little plane tore through the air defenses of the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Shahed costs only $40,000 but can fly 2,000 km away and avoid interceptors like the multi-million dollar Patriot missile.
