While Russian officials have described the Israeli military operation as"dangerous," Russian media have pointed to several potential benefits. These include diverting world attention from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and, if the Kremlin's offer to mediate in the conflict between the two countries is accepted, strengthening Russian influence in the Middle East.

However, there is an increasing possibility that Russia could lose an important ally in the Middle East - Iran.

As Russian political scientist Andrei Kortunov has said, Russia's inability to prevent a massive Israeli attack on a country with which it signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement five months ago proves that Russia is not ready to provide military assistance to Iran - its capabilities are limited to condemning Israel.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Peskov signed a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries earlier this year. However, it does not stipulate that Moscow has a duty to defend Iran in the event of an attack.

However, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out in an interview during the signing of the agreement, the agreement pays special attention to"the desire of Moscow and Tehran to cooperate more closely in the field of security."

Six months ago, Moscow already lost one important ally in the Middle East – Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Therefore, the possibility of losing another strategic partner in the region is a serious concern for Moscow.