Iran war 'pouring' money into Russia's war coffers: Swedish defense chief |
Iran war ‘pouring’ money into Russia’s war coffers: Swedish defense chief
Russia is taking advantage of the war in Iran by “pouring” increased oil revenue into its war effort in Ukraine, according to the commander of Sweden’s armed forces.
In an exclusive interview with The Hill on Thursday, Gen. Michael Claesson said the influx of oil money for Moscow — caused by a chokehold on the movement of one-fifth of the world’s oil, putting a premium on Russia’s supply — has allowed it to further bolster its war effort.
“The Russians have already rearranged their economy to more effect a war economy, and they have increased through that their production capacity,” Claesson said. “Their own defense industrial base has been not only stabilized, but also, let’s say, inflated financially.”
Russia, in comparison with the collective West, already has a good production rate and capacity in building weapons, he said, so “pouring in more money into that system is, of course, something that creates more challenges to Ukraine, obviously, but also to the rest of us, including the U.S.”
The defense chief added that the link between Russia and Iran is creating “a lot of challenges.”
Since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began in late February, Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global oil supplies. The closure has led to rising energy prices, with the Trump administration seeking to lower costs by lifting some sanctions on Venezuela and Russia.
For 30 days, countries can buy Russian oil already at sea without being sanctioned — penalties that Washington imposed on the Kremlin since it first invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The Guardian reported that Russia has earned an estimated $8 billion in the first two weeks of the Iran war from selling fossil fuels, nearly $900 million more than usual. The majority of that — roughly $833 million — came from trading oil.
Russia also has had a hand in helping Tehran in the war via sharing satellite imagery and intelligence, according to U.S. officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said intelligence from his country found that Moscow has supplied Tehran with drones used to attack U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf region.
Western intelligence indicates the Kremlin also is close to completing a shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran, the Financial Times reported this week.
Tehran, in turn, has aided Moscow in Ukraine via the sale of Iranian drones.
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