Retired U.S. Navy Top Gun Fighter Pilot Matthew “Whiz” Buckley claimed that Russia’s support for Iran is the reason why the Middle East war drags on, adding that the conflict would be over much faster if Putin pulled his support for Tehran.
Speaking on Fox News program on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Buckley accused Iran of not fighting the proxy war on its own and accused Russia of giving Tehran military intel and other support to advance its efforts.Watch video here
Buckley said that the precision with which Iran has been hitting American positions in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait suggests there might be foreign support beyond Iran’s military capabilities.
“If we are seeing this kind of success in terms of targeting and hitting things accurately, then it suggests there is an outside source that is helping them do that. It makes it not what it seems like it should be only Iran,” said Buckley.
“And when it comes to this proxy fight, it’s really a proxy fight with Russia, not just Iran versus the U.S.
Buckley compared the situation to the Ukraine war, saying that the U.S. was giving intelligence to Kyiv to help it fight Moscow, while Russia was doing the same for Iran.
“If it comes to it, if Vladimir Putin said, ‘No more weapons, you’re done,’ this thing would end a lot quicker than it is,” said Buckley, adding that he did not think Putin would do that anytime soon.
Buckley added that if Moscow withdrew its military and intel support, then Iran would not be able to continue fueling the war.
The comments came as the U.S. continued its campaign against Iran and escalated the military buildup in the Middle East, and as debates about great-power competition and the role of allies and partners in countering regional adversaries intensified.
KINDLY WATCH VIDEO FROM 7:35-7:45 HERE
