President Donald Trump's two-week timeline to decide on striking Iranian targets could be a favor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a foreign policy expert. John Erath, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation,

Putin has openly sided with Iran’s right to nuclear power—directly challenging the positions of both Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking on the growing conflict, Putin declared that Iran is entitled to pursue nuclear energy and hinted that Western powers have no authority to deny it.