By Hera! Is Putin Playing Chess or Checkers with Iran? Wonder Woman Investigates!

Ares's Arsenal or Aphrodite's Appeal?

Greetings mortals! Wonder Woman here reporting from the front lines of... well not a battlefield exactly but a political quagmire that smells just as bad. It seems that after a bit of a dust up involving some American intervention and Iranian nuclear facilities (Trump called it an "obliteration" which sounds a bit dramatic even for him) Iran is running to Russia for a little 'help a sister out' moment. You know like when you accidentally set your lasso of truth on fire and need someone to hide the evidence? Apparently Iran has been quite generous in supplying Russia with military drones for its ongoing kerfuffle in Ukraine. Now the chickens – or in this case the drones – have come home to roost.

Putin's Predicament: Sanctions or Sympathy?

But here's the rub: Putin is in a pickle worthy of Hippolyta's pickling recipe. On one hand he needs to keep his ally Iran happy. On the other hand he's trying to cozy up to the Trump administration in the U.S. (again!). It's like trying to lasso both Cheetah and Circe at the same time – a recipe for disaster! Holger Schmieding from Berenberg Bank put it rather succinctly: Putin has little to offer Iran beyond "some words." Words! As if words can deflect a missile or build a nuclear reactor. Honestly sometimes I think the mortals rely too much on diplomacy and not enough on a good old fashioned Amazonian intervention.

The Price of Oil and the Sins of Men

Of course there's always the dark underbelly of international conflict: economics. This Iranian situation could give Russia a slight advantage in Ukraine by diverting Western attention and resources. Plus higher oil prices mean more money for Putin's war chest. As my dear friend Steve Trevor would say 'It's always about the money isn't it?' But even Ares the god of war would admit that constant war isn't a great long term investment strategy.

Losing Allies Faster Than I Can Fly

But the real danger for Russia is losing another ally in the Middle East. They already saw their foothold in Syria weaken and now Iran is looking a bit shaky. Nikita Smagin from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center points out that Russia has invested heavily in Iran and all those investments could go up in smoke faster than you can say 'Hera's thunderbolts!' He said that Russia hopes to benefit from rising oil prices and declining interest in Ukraine but the real threat is the Iranian ventures they have invested in including oil and gas projects infrastructure and transit routes.

Eight Billion Reasons to Worry

Just before the strike the Iranian ambassador in Moscow bragged that Russia was their biggest foreign investor in 2024. We're talking billions of dollars in oil and gas projects. Now the future of those investments is as uncertain as whether Batman will ever crack a smile. Moscow planned to invest about $8 billion in oil and gas projects alone. "Now the future of those projects is in doubt."

The Lasso of Truth's Verdict

So what's a superheroine to think? It seems Putin is caught between a rock and a hard place trying to balance alliances economics and political posturing. Will he choose to help Iran risk alienating the U.S. and gamble with his investments? Or will he leave Iran twisting in the wind? Only time – and perhaps a little intervention from yours truly – will tell. As I always say 'Only love can truly save the world.' But a strategic alliance or two doesn't hurt either!