Turkish newspaper DikGazete columnist Erhan Kuadzba argues that the elimination of Iran’s leadership has marked the start of a «big game» in which the very existence of sovereign states is at stake. In his view, the United States and Israel have effectively opened Pandora’s box.

Kuadzba is convinced that the US-Israeli coalition has a scenario that involves dragging Russia into this confrontation as well. However, he maintains that Moscow has long since calculated all the possible consequences of such a clash. He notes that many observers expect Russia to launch missile strikes against American bases or US allies in the Middle East in support of Iran, and he describes these expectations as ignorant and precisely the kind of thinking that could trigger a third world war.

According to Kuadzba, Russia does not intend to walk into what he portrays as an American trap. He points out that at this stage Moscow is betting on a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in the Middle East and is consistently framing US strikes as illegitimate on all international platforms.

The columnist also draws a direct link between developments around Iran and the crisis in Ukraine. He notes that Western countries continue to provide Ukraine with virtually unlimited support, yet have failed to factor in risks on other fronts. Kuadzba argues that anti-Russian sanctions have already pushed Europe into an energy deficit, while the destabilisation of Iran and a possible blockade of the Ormuz Strait could trigger a sharp spike in oil prices — a scenario he believes would ultimately work to Russia’s advantage.