Aerial view of Moscow Kremlin landmarks: Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Kremlin, Spasskaya Tower and Red Square
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The Kremlin has said it has no intention of abandoning Iran, which is widely expected to face a direct attack from Israel.
Iran is under pressure as its proxy militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah come under heavy attack from Israel in Gaza and Lebanon respectively. The Islamic Republic also faces the possibility of a direct attack by Israel in retaliation for missile attacks on its regional rivals earlier this month.
After aiding Russia’s war in UkraineAnalysts speculate that Iran is now seeking retaliation and support from Russia, although the form this might take is uncertain.
When asked by CNBC how Russia views the state of its relations with Iran and how it balances its competing interests and alliances in the region amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the Kremlin said it intends to deepen its alliance with Tehran wherever possible.
“We are developing cooperation with Iran in various fields. We intend to further develop cooperation in this area,” Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told CNBC on Tuesday.
“This cooperation is in no way aimed at third countries,” he insisted in an emailed comment to Google Translate. He did not directly answer whether Iran asked Russia for support against Israel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states in Moscow, Russia, on October 8, 2024.
Sergei Ilnitsky | Reuters
Russia is a close ally of Iran but must carefully balance some of its military and economic partnerships in the broader Middle East. It is one of the few countries that maintains good relations with Iran and Israel, as well as other major players in the region such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates, despite their animosity. Peskov told CNBC that Russia “maintains dialogue with all parties to the conflict in the Middle East.”
However, relations between Moscow and Tehran have undoubtedly changed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Iran reportedly supplied Russia with one-way attack drones And, recently, Short-range missiles for use against Ukrainein exchange for Moscow’s military technology and hardware.
The two countries deny any arms exchange during the war in Ukraine, but both countries have been subject to severe sanctions from Western countries as a result.
In this group photo released by Russian state news agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with senior BRICS officials responsible for security affairs/national security advisers at Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian while shaking hands with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Vyacheslav Prokofiev | AFP | Getty Images
The “strategic” deal between Russia and Iran
To understand how Russia will support Iran, all eyes are now on the BRICS summit taking place in Kazan, southwest Russia.
Originally composed of major developing economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the group has expanded to include a few countries from the “South” such as Iran, in sharp contrast to the industrialized countries. Global North”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are widely expected to sign a high-profile comprehensive strategic partnership agreement at the summit, signaling they will deepen cooperation in multiple areas , maybe even at the military level.
“Expect to see promises of defense cooperation (which may be vaguely worded and deliberately opaque), as well as a playbook claiming that Russia is allied with Iran against the West’s ‘aggressive agenda,'” said Burku Ozselik, senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Security Bureau. The think tank arm of the Royal United Services Institute told CNBC in emailed comments.
“It is important to remember who the audience for such statements is: both as a message to the United States and its allies about the rise of alternative alliances, and as a rallying cry to the global South against the power hierarchy enshrined in the UN Security Council. Council,” she pointed out.
On October 11, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (left) met in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
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Ozcelik described the relationship between Moscow and Tehran as “both sides are locked in a tactical, profit-driven alliance of convenience.”
“Both sides are taking different actions to minimize military, political and economic losses in their respective conflict areas and mitigate violations of their cross-border interests,” she noted.
