Vladimir Putin wants to use a weapon of mass destruction in Ukraine and could be helped by rising tensions in the Middle East, an expert has claimed.

Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday evening following an Israeli strike on Tehran’s consulate building in Syria.

Now, defence industry analyst and consultant Nicholas Drummond warns Russia will be “delighted” with events unfolding in the Middle East because it may distract the West from the war in Ukraine.

He adds that Putin is looking for an excuse to use weapons of mass destruction.

Drummond posted on X: “Yesterday evening, Iran launched 185 drones, 110 ballistic missiles, and 36 cruise missiles at Israel. Thanks to US and British interceptions most of those weapons were shot down without them causing significant casualties. This does not change the severity of Iran’s actions.

READ MORE: Iran fire more than 200 drones intercepted by US and UK before nearing Israel

“This is the first time Iran has launched a direct attack against Israel from its own soil. For decades, Iran has attacked Israel through proxy terrorist groups. The 7/10 atrocities were orchestrated by Iran and were part of this wider conflict.

“In addition to deciding to eliminate Hamas, Israel responded to the 7/10 attacks by killing Iran’s most senior military figure in Syria, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the people responsible for planning them.

“The question is what will Iran do next? And how will Israel respond? We are on the brink of a major conflict in the Middle East.

“This will delight Putin as he seeks to annex Ukraine in its entirety. It is more than likely that Russia is planning to step-up its activities in Ukraine. He may even be looking for an excuse to use WMD. Unless Ukraine is given the resources to repel a renewed Russian onslaught, more territory will be lost. Quite independently of what happens in Ukraine, Putin is everyone’s problem.

“As noted elsewhere, Serbia may be preparing an assault against Kosovo, something that Putin may also be behind, adding to the general complexity and volatility of the geopolitical landscape.

“Iran and Russia are quite literally the coalition from hell. At the moment NATO / the West are acting like rabbits caught in car headlights. We do not need to act aggressively (yet) but we very urgently need to demonstrate strength.”

Following Iran’s attack, Russia called on both sides to show “restraint” amid the threat of a wider war in the Middle East.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added: “We are counting on the regional states to solve the existing problems with political and diplomatic means.”