Russia 'is sending weapons to Iran as Tehran steps up preparations for possible war with Israel' amid growing fears that an attack could come within hours and ignite regional conflict

Russia is sending aerial defence systems to Iran arsenic nan authoritarian authorities prepares an imminent onslaught against Israel, according to officials successful Tehran. 

The New York Times was told by 2 Iranian officials, 1 of whom was a personnel of nan nation's military, that Russia has started to present precocious radars and air-defence equipment. 

While it is not known precisely what instrumentality Iran had requested, Iran already has respective Russian-made S-300 aerial defense systems. 

Just yesterday Sergei Shoigu, nan caput of Russia's information assembly and a erstwhile defense minister, met with Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and apical information officials to support nan Middle Eastern nation.

Shoigu said: 'We are fresh to cooperate afloat pinch Iran successful various areas.'

Pezeshkian, meanwhile, thanked Moscow for supporting Iran successful 'difficult times', adding that he wanted to fortify relations pinch Russia. 

Iran is presently preparing for a awesome onslaught against Israel successful retaliation for sidesplitting apical Hamas negotiator Ismail Haniyeh successful Tehran and Hezbollah commandant Fuad Shukr successful Beirut last month. 

The US' apical diplomat, Anthony Blinken, told nan G7 complete nan play that location was small accusation astir what shape nan expected onslaught would take, but that it was apt to hap by nan extremity of Tuesday, if astatine all. 

American and Israeli officials judge that Iran would coordinate pinch its friends successful nan region, besides known arsenic nan Axis of Resistance, which is made up of groups including Hezbollah successful Lebanon and nan Houthis successful Yemen. 

Behind closed doors, nan US has been moving to easiness tensions betwixt Israel, Iran and its respective allies. 

In a hopeless bid to easiness tensions, Biden yesterday called King Abdullah II of Jordan, who helped down Iranian drones and missiles successful an earlier showdown successful April, while Blinken called apical officials successful Qatar and Egypt, nan cardinal intermediaries seeking a ceasefire successful nan 10-month Israel-Hamas war.

'We are engaged successful aggravated diplomacy, beautiful overmuch astir nan clock, pinch a very elemental connection - each parties must refrain from escalation,' Blinken said aft joining different apical officials successful a White House meeting.

'It's besides captious that we break this rhythm by reaching a ceasefire successful Gaza,' said Blinken. 

Despite this, nan IDF has continued to costs warfare against Palestine and Hezbollah. 

An Israeli rocket onslaught killed 4 Hezbollah fighters successful a location successful nan confederate Lebanese municipality of Mayfadoun today. 

Meanwhile, 8 Palestinians were killed successful 2 IDF raids successful nan West Bank. Four were killed in the Jenin area and 4 successful Tubas district. 

Israel has successful nan past been criticised for not doing capable to support Western friends successful their ain geopolitical struggles agelong earlier October 7. 

In 2022, Volodymyr Zelenksy furiously asked Israeli leader why they had blocked nan transportation of Iron Dome missiles to Ukraine, and past refused to enforce due sanctions against Russia. 

Israel's then-prime minister, Naftali Bennett, tried to declare that Israel's domiciled arsenic a mediator successful nan conflict betwixt Ukraine and Russia meant it had to stay neutral. 

But Zelensky told Israeli lawmakers: 'Mediation tin beryllium betwixt states, not betwixt bully and evil.'

A Ukrainian charismatic besides claimed astatine nan clip that Bennett tried to person Zelensky to judge Putin's derided demands successful bid to extremity nan bloodiest conflict connected European ungraded for decades. 

'If I were you, I would deliberation astir nan lives of my group and return nan offer,' nan charismatic said Bennett told Zelensky. 

'Bennett is fundamentally telling america to surrender, and we person nary volition of doing that,' nan Ukrainian charismatic said astatine nan time.