Why Iran’s global partners are standing idly by

Ben HubbardDespite long being considered a pariah by the West and isolated by U.S. sanctions, Iran’s revolutionary Islamic government maintains diplomatic, commercial and military relations with many countries.Türkiye and India have engaged on trade and security issues. China looks to it for cheap oil. North Korea, Venezuela and Russia view it as an ally against the West and plot with it to develop military technology and subvert sanctions. Now, Iran finds itself under attack from friends, neighbors and partners who have nothing to offer the Islamic Republic but words. In turn, they may become targets. Experts say this is a product of Iranian foreign policy, which has shunned commitments to other countries but invested in militias that share religious hatred with the United States and Israel. These militias cannot help Iran now. The most powerful of them, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, have been defeated by their war with Israel. Houthi militias in Yemen and Iranian-backed Iraqi militant groups could target ships in the Red Sea or U.S. troops in Iraq. But such attacks are unlikely to change the course of the war inside Iran. Experts say most countries that maintain relations with Iran do so out of strategic, geographical or economic necessity, so they have no reason to make sacrifices when Iran is attacked.

Kabir Taneja, executive director of the Middle East Observer Research Foundation, said India is approaching Iran as an important player in the region and seeking economic advantage. “In terms of worldviews, there’s absolutely no overlap,” he said. “This is always a transactional relationship, but a functional and useful relationship for New Delhi.”Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that relations with Iran have not prevented India from becoming Israel’s largest arms customer, with purchases from India accounting for 34% of Israel’s total sales between 2020 and 2024. Taneja said India’s balancing act between Israel, Iran and other countries meant it would steer clear of a war with Iran. “India’s foreign policy in this regard is very clear and it does not interfere in other people’s affairs,” he said.North Korea has condemned the war but has taken no other action, and Venezuela’s attitude has changed since the United States ousted President Nicolas Maduro in January. China remains Iran’s largest trading partner, mainly because it buys more than three-quarters of Iran’s oil. China called for restraint, criticized the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei as “unacceptable” and appointed a special envoy to mediate. Analysts say it is unlikely to challenge the United States directly so as not to interfere with Trump’s expected visit to China in April.Russia has been Iran’s closest ally against the West. “There is growing disapproval and dissatisfaction with the global order and the U.S. alliance system,” said Hannah Knott, director of the Eurasia Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Military cooperation between Russia and Iran has intensified during the Syrian conflict, with both countries supporting President Bashar al-Assad before he was ousted from power in 2024. Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has further cemented ties, as Russia needs Iranian drone technology and deploys it against Ukraine. In January 2025, Russia and Iran signed a major cooperation treaty that deepened their defense ties but did not require mutual defense in the event of attack.Nott said Russia has provided some military equipment to Iran but its support has been limited, in part because it does not want to complicate relations with Israel. Nott said Russia is likely to stick to its policy of avoiding direct military conflict with Israel and the United States.