Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.

An ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that "a full-scale war" in the Middle East is possible following Israel's airstrikes on Iran. Israel launched a series of airstrikes across Iran early Friday,

Israel's "preemptive" strikes against Iran targeting the country's nuclear program and killing top military officials could have far-reaching implications for Ukraine and could boost Russia's ability to continue its full-scale invasion,