MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. NATO is unlikely to formally join US strikes against Iran due to internal divisions; the European Commission is moving toward a complete severing of economic ties with Russia; and the conflict in the Middle East may boost demand for Russian energy and commodities. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
The North Atlantic Alliance is unlikely to become involved in the conflict with Iran on the side of the United States due to internal disagreements, experts told Izvestia. At least five NATO member states have officially condemned the American and Israeli strikes. Unconditional support for Washington has been expressed only by Poland, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic. The United Kingdom has been providing assistance with considerable reluctance, while France and Italy have focused on protecting Cyprus and Persian Gulf states. However, what the United States primarily requires is missiles for air defense systems and munitions overall. The urgent search for additional resources indicates that Washington did not anticipate such prolonged opposition from Tehran.
Political analyst Denis Denisov told Izvestia that the most likely scenario for NATO involvement would be the creation of an informal coalition around the United States and Israel. Official participation by the alliance is extremely unlikely, as it would require the consent of every member state.
