Russia, China, and North Korea’s Strategic Restraint in the Face of Iran’s Destruction

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched what would become one of the most consequential military campaigns since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Coordinated strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, decapitated its military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership, and, in an act of historic boldness, assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The strikes were preceded by Israel’s June 2025 ’12-Day War’ against Iran, which had already struck Iranian nuclear sites and devastated the country’s air defence architecture. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a condemnation. China’s spokesperson called the strikes ‘a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty.’ North Korea denounced the attacks as ‘illegal acts of aggression.’ And then — nothing.

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JINSA’s analysis pointed out a telling detail: “Moscow even reportedly refused a request from Tehran for Iranian-designed, Russian-produced Shahed drones after Israeli strikes damaged Iran’s domestic production” (JINSA, October 2025). If true, this represents not just abandonment but exploitation — Russia leveraging Iran’s vulnerability to increase its own leverage over Tehran.

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