Lavrov backs Tehran, but does Russia also gain from the US-Iran crisis?

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged Moscow’s support for Iran when he met his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Monday. On Tuesday, Araghchi wrote on X: “Never in our history have Iran and Russia worked as closely as now.” The war on Iran, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has pushed up oil prices and handed Moscow a windfall. Washington has now also eased sanctions on Russian energy to bring down fuel costs – a major complaint from consumers in the US, who will shortly vote in mid-term elections. So how close are Moscow and Tehran, and does Russia really want the US-Iran crisis to end?