Russia and the Middle East: New Alliances

To very few strategists and political experts, the Middle East is passing through rapid changes with a big rift between Iran and the USA, a rapprochement between Egypt and Iran, and a rift between some key world powers because of the Syrian crisis, shaping new alliances.

Egypt has approached Iraq to purchase oil and Iraq started pumping oil to Egypt daily to compensate the 1 million barrel shortage in the Egyptian market after a conflict between Saudi Arabia and Egypt over the two Red Sea islands and the stance of Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi about some regional issues, including his rejection to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, whom he considers as a legitimate leader.

Of course, Iraq could not have sold oil to Egypt without a green light from Iran, whose forces at present are in Iraq and Syria fighting Daesh and other terrorists groups. Also, the Egyptians and the Iraqis had recently made an agreement to train 4 Iraqi army units for the forthcoming big battle to liberate Iraq and Syria from terrorists.

Both Egypt and Iran are mulled as major military export markets for Russian weapons and Russia would not have sold them such sophisticated weapons unless it deems them allies for a future mission.

If Russia with its allies in the Middle East (Egypt and Iran) sat together with Turkey, by then, the Russian Federation would be ruling the whole of Africa, Arabia and major parts of Europe.

However, if Algeria which is also a strong ally to Russia joins the coalition, then Russia will be controlling the natural resources of Africa, having a big say in the coming economic war with the USA which is expanding to the Pacific.

Shehab Al-Makahleh

Originally published on RusisWorld