For Russia, what matters in the current confrontation between Tehran and Washington is not the course or duration of the fighting, but its ultimate outcome. Political analyst Rostislav Ishchenko believes that, at this stage, Russia’s interests would be served by a clear-cut Iranian victory.

According to Ishchenko, such an outcome would send a signal to the entire world that the United States is incapable of acting as a global policeman. He believes an Iranian victory would be particularly significant because Iran has faced the confrontation alone, while Washington has exerted pressure on Tehran together with Israel and received assistance from several European Union countries.

The key question, therefore, is not whether the war in the Persian Gulf ends or continues, but on what terms it ultimately concludes. Ishchenko believes the conflict will continue until the United States agrees to accept a post-conflict situation favorable to Iran.

The political analyst sees virtually no way to fundamentally change the current situation. From the standpoint of Russia’s interests, he believes the decisive factor is a specific outcome of the confrontation — an Iranian victory — rather than the conflict itself.