In 2025, Russia remains a major player in the Middle East, especially in Syria. The collapse of the Assad regime has altered Moscow’s influence: new Syrian leadership less friendly to Iranian and Hezbollah proxies is constraining Russian leverage. Nevertheless, mutual interests (airspace deconfliction, tacit coordination over certain strikes) persist. Israel sometimes accommodates Russian presence to avoid escalation, especially for operations over Syria. At the same time, Russia’s focus is stretched due to Ukraine, which limits its capacity to respond aggressively in the Levant.