Since the end of last year, more than a thousand container ships from the so-called shadow fleet have been sanctioned by the West. Meanwhile, according to data from the International Maritime Organization,

Iran prefers the EU's discretion and apparent respect for its ideological red lines, in contrast with Donald Trump's ostentatious and menacing style. So the growing rift between the U.S. and EU over resolving the Ukraine-Russia war may be a welcome chance for Tehran to revive secret contacts it loves so much with an EU in search of diplomatic clout.

President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Iran's openness to negotiations, but emphasized that he won't be bullied to engage either.

Britain has a record of consistently having hit the NATO minimum of spending 2% of GDP on defence. More than that, when there is a crisis—such as Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea or Iran’s attack on Israel—we are almost always the first country to commit its forces alongside America’s to deal with the threat.

But even in a relatively permissive environment, Russia’s appetite for global upheaval has limits. New bursts of conflict will not necessarily work in its favor. Given its finite resources and its preoccupation with Ukraine,

Russian state-run nuclear energy giant Rosatom is in talks to build another nuclear power plant in Iran, as the two countries work on strategic plans to overcome Western sanctions and strengthen their influence in the region.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War point out that Russia has become increasingly reliant on Iran and North Korea to support its war against Ukraine. Source: ISW Quote: "Russia appears to be relying more on Iran and North Korea to support its war in Ukraine.