How Russia gains from the Hormuz supply shock

The US may be systemically stripping Russia of key geopolitical allies, but Moscow can reap rewards from the Hormuz crisis, both in the short and long term

The US successfully toppling the Iranian regime would represent a major geopolitical disaster for Russia. Moscow would lose its main ally in the Middle East, which it has relied on for years for military cooperation. projecting influence across the region and countering Western power. That loss would follow Washington’s capture in January of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro—another Kremlin ally—and his replacement with a new leader who thus far has been far more amenable to US interests. Meanwhile, Washington is also increasing pressure on the regime in Cuba, another longstanding partner of Moscow, through an oil blockade. If one were to take a Russia-centric view of US foreign policy, Wa