This is CBS, High on the World, I'm John Bachelor welcoming Jonathan Schans or Vice President of the

Foundation for the Defense of Democracy to help me understand the very, very challenging

map of the Middle East now with threats with capabilities

with violence with rockets and drones. Jonathan welcome I add a

complication since last we spoke, the confirmation that Sergei Shoygo, the National Security

Advisor to President Putin, or a team of advisors to President Putin or a team of advisors to President Putin is in Tehran or has been in

Tehran for ceremonies including visiting the new President of Iran, but also to talk about arm shipments.

The reason I note this especially is because in the early part of the Ukraine war, Iran

was keen to emphasize that they were just a, well, the Home Depot for drones and that any

drones showing up in Ukraine and they did quickly were purchased cash and carry by Russia. We're

not linked with them. I believe that pretense is gone and to note that this is the first instance I can remember

of a major Russian delegation and figure.

Shoygu has been mentioned as a possible successor.

We're not looking at a lightweight here. A major a major figure

figure visiting Tehran and talking to the regime prior to any violence in the

Middle East and after the vow of revenge. Do you find this

significant or is Shoygu just a traveling salesman to all of us? Good evening to you.

Good evening, John. Yeah, I believe this is significant.

For some time we have been talking about an axis that has formed between the Chinese Communist Party, Putin's Russia, and Iran.

This has always been the case.

It's been an uneasy alliance between these three revisionist powers in Iran

is, of course, the junior power among the three.

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