Russian Expert Warns 'No Peace, No War' in Middle East Cannot Last After US-Israel War on Iran

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. A state of "no peace, no war" that followed the 40-day war the United States and Israel waged against Iran cannot last long and another spiral of escalation may be much more brutal and wider, a Russian expert told TASS. "The 40-day war in Iran, as it is called by Iranian specialists, has ended in a fragile balance. Given the colossal gap between military capabilities of the United States and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other, we see that the attacking party is ready to continue the war without significant military losses while the Iranian military and political leadership is ready rather to die than surrender," said Adlan Margoyev, an expert on Iranian affairs and a researcher at the Institute of International Studies at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University). According to the expert, a ceasefire in the absence of a peace treaty "looks like extra time to the United States to think which of its objectives are realistic and whether it is in its interests to pay a high economic and political price for the." "Washington believes that time is on its side while Tehran is sure of its endurance, and no one is going to change his positions. That is why the talks are not proceeding smoothly," he added. "The 'no peace, nor war' state cannot be stable, and Iranian diplomats and experts warned about that back in 2023, anticipating a regional escalation even before Donald Trump was back in the White House," Margoyev recalled. He warned that the risk of another escalation will depend on whether "Trump keeps his focus on Iran, not switching to another foreign policy target, and whether he wants quick results." Trump's zeal to "deplete the balance that was established after the March war and demonstrate that the United States is stronger after all may lead to a more brutal war each of the parties will be waging with less and less self-restrictions, such as those related to critical civilian infrastructure," he added. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg. The Russian leader pledged that Russia is ready to do everything it can to bring peace to the Middle East as soon as possible. The top Iranian diplomat, in turn, noted that the strategic partnership relations between Moscow and Tehran will continue strengthening. He also thanked Putin for Russia's support for his country. In 2026, Tehran and Washington resumed mediated talks, with the last round being held in Geneva on February 26. The sides were supposed to continue consultations in Vienna in March but on February 28, the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran and attacked its nuclear facilities again. On April 7, US President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire with Iran. According to the Iranian side, as many as 3,375 people died in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran over 40 days of the war.