Iran finds China, Russia offer limited help under US pressure - WSJ

Iran’s efforts to build closer military ties with China and Russia are yielding limited support as it faces mounting pressure from the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The newspaper said Beijing and Moscow have strengthened economic and diplomatic ties with Tehran but have shown little willingness to provide direct military assistance if President Donald Trump orders strikes on Iran.

It noted that Russia and Iran held small-scale naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, and that a joint exercise with China is planned, but said the show of force is modest compared with the US military buildup in the region.

Analysts cited by the Journal said both China and Russia are unlikely to risk a confrontation with Washington over Iran, describing their ties with Tehran as pragmatic and transactional rather than a commitment to go to war on its behalf.