Russia, China Unlikely to Back Iran Against U.S. Military Threats

Iran's Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gholamhossein Darzi listens during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at United Nations headquarters in New York on January 15, 2026. Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP

By Fabien Zamora with Ludovic Ehret in Beijing

While Russia and China are ready to back protest-rocked Iran under threat by U.S. President Donald Trump, that support would diminish in the face of U.S. military action, experts told AFP.

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