British News Agency

Russia and Iran signed a “comprehensive partnership agreement” in January, strengthening their strategic alliance, but the agreement does not obligate either party to defend the other in case of an attack.

Meanwhile, in a meeting held on Thursday, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping strongly condemned Israel's attacks on Iran, according to statements from the Kremlin and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Although the U.S. was not explicitly mentioned, Xi sent a subtle message to Trump, emphasizing that “major powers” with special influence over the parties in the conflict “should work to de-escalate the situation, not do the opposite.”