While the U.S. and Israel navigate a volatile military standoff with Iran, Vladimir Putin is playing the ultimate diplomatic card. In a critical phone call, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally assured Putin that Emirati territory is not being used to launch attacks against Iran. With UAE infrastructure taking a brutal beating from Iranian retaliatory strikes, Putin has offered to act as a direct backchannel messenger to Tehran. As Washington beats the drums of war, Moscow is proving it’s the only major power that can still speak to all sides. Watch the analysis.