International Studies Journal (ISJ)

International Studies Journal (ISJ)

Iran-Russia Relations after the Ukraine War

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Research Project

Authors
1 Regional Studies Department faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran
2 Regional Studies Department, University of Tehran
Abstract
Russia's military attack on Ukraine has had profound consequences not only for the Middle East, but also for the world. The political-security relations of the two countries, have been affected by this war. Since the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Tehran has accepted Moscow's rationale for this attack and has shown its political support at the United Nations General Assembly, but Iran has been cautious in fully supporting this war. Iran's approach regarding the war in Ukraine is important in two ways. First, Iran's orientation towards this war affects Tehran's relations with Moscow. Second, this orientation affects Iran's interests in the international system.

For this reason, the main question of this article is "What was Iran's attitude towards the war in Ukraine and how did it affect the relations between Tehran and Moscow?" The hypothesis of the authors is that "Iran's approach towards the war in Ukraine has been cautious - it has neither officially condemned nor supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine - this policy is aimed at maintaining and continuing the relations between the two countries. The purpose of this article is to examine the orientations of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the war in Ukraine and its effect on the country's relations with Russia. The authors' method in this research is qualitative with a descriptive-analytical approach.
Keywords

Subjects


  1. A $40 memorandum of understanding was signed between Iran's National Oil Company and Russia's Gazprom. (2022). Iranian Ministry of Petroleum. July 20, at: https://www.mop.ir/fa-IR/Portal/5611/news/view/15872/2000002395/Staging/
  2. H. (2022). How the Ukraine Crisis Benefits Iran’s Eurasia Strategy. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. July 17, at: https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/87457.
  3. Amir Abdullah: We do not support any side in the warring parties. (2023). Fars News. February 28, at: http://fna.ir/1uqheg. (In Persian)
  4. Asadi, B. & Monavari, S.A. (2021). Investigating the Relations between Iran and Russia in the New Century: Strategic Alliance or Convergence of Interests. International and Political Approaches, 12(4), 181-210 doi: 10.29252/piaj.2021.101504. (In Persian)
  5. Ayatollah Raisi: We are against war and expansionist policies of NATO”, Kayhan, May 9, at: https://kayhan.ir/fa/news/241116/.(In Persian)
  6. Azizi, H., & Hamidfar, H. (2019). The Motives of Iranian-Russian Security Cooperation in Central Asia. Central Eurasia Studies, 12(2), 381-389. doi: 22059/jcep.2019.286061.449857. (In Persian)
  7. Clement, T. (2022). The Russian-Iran Partnership in a Multipolar World, The French Institute of International Relations (Ifri),18, at: https://www.ifri.org/en/publications/etudes-de-lifri/russieneireports/russian-iran-partnership-multipolar-world.
  8. Drone analysis in Ukraine suggests Iran has supplied Russia since war began (2022). Guardian. November 10, at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/10/iranian-made-drones-supplied-to-russia-after-february-invasion-says-ukraine.
  9. FM: Iran to continue efforts to end war in Ukraine. (2022). Government Islamic Republic of Iran. July 10, at: https://irangov.ir/detail/391499.
  10. Gideon Rose.(1998). Neoclassical Realism and Theories of Foreign Policy. World Politics, 51(1). 148-162. .doi: 1017/S0043887100007814.3
  11. Hafezi, P., Pamuk, H., & Lewis, S. (2022). Russia Says It Has Written Guarantees on Iran Nuclear Deal. Reuters, June 13, at: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/russia-says-it-has-written-guarantees-iran-nuclear-deal-2022-03-15/.
  12. Iran is ready to help the end of Ukraine War. (2022). IRNA. October 9, at: https://www.irna.ir/news/84937427
  13. Iran Opposes to the Continuation of War in Ukraine.(2023). IRNA. March 23, at: https://irna.ir/xjM3BW.
  14. Iran's position towards the crisis. (2022). Donya-e-Eqtesad. February 25, at: https://donya-e-eqtesad.com/64/3845810.
  15. Kasting, N., & Fite, B. (2012).S. and Iranian Strategic Competition, the Impact of China and Russia. CSIS. at: www.csis.org/analysis/us-and-iranian-strategic.
  16. Koolaee, E. & Norouzi Zarmehri, A. (2021). The Trilateral Cooperation of Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia in the North-South Corridor and Iran’s National Security. Politics Quarterly, 51(3), 811-789. doi: 10.22059/jpq.2021.318617.1007743. (In Persian)
  17. Koolaee, E., & Abedi, A. (2016). Ups and downs of Iran-Russia Relations 1990-2016. Research Letters of International Studies, 10(40) ,135-164. (In Persian)
  18. Koolaee, E., & Abedi, A. (2018). Iran in Russian Leaders Perceptions, Tehran: Tehran Academic Jahad. (In Persian)
  19. Koolaee, E., & Amin Naeeni, A. (2021). Impact of Russia- US Rivalry on Iran's Regional Status. Political and International Research, 12(45), 1-16. doi: 10.30495/pir.2021.680914. (In Persian)
  20. Koolaee, E., & Azizi, H. (2019). Backgrounds, Factors and Consequences of Changes in Russia's Middle Eastern Policy, Tehran: University of Tehran. (In Persian)
  21. Koolaee, E., & Kavianifar, P. (2021). Effects of External Factors on Iran- Russia’s Economic Relations. World Politics 10(3), 63-84. doi: 10.22124/wp.2021.19833.2856. (In Persian)
  22. Koolaee, , Mousavi, H. & Abedi, A. (2020). Fluctuations in Iran-Russia Relations During the Past Four Decade. Iran and the Caucasus, 24(2), 216-232 .doi: 10.1163/1573384x-20200206. (In Persian)
  23. Kozhanov, N. (2015). Understanding the Revitalization of Russian-Iranian Relations. Carnegie Moscow Center, at: https://carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_Kozhanov_web_Eng.pdf.
  24. Kozhanov, N. (2015). Understanding the Revitalization of Russian-Iranian Relations. Carnegie Moscow Center, 6. at: https://carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_Kozhanov_web_Eng.pdf.
  25. María Ballesteros, M. (2022). Russia’s Relationship with Iran in the Context of the 21st Century Geopolitics, Opinion Paper IEEE, at: https://www.ieee.es/Galerias/fichero/docs_opinion/2022/DIEEEO36_2022_MARBAL_Rusia_ENG.pdf.
  26. Motamedi, M. (2023). Iran’s Khamenei says US Wants to keep Ukraine war going at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/21/irans-khamenei-says-us-wants-to-keep-ukraine-war.
  27. Raisi: Iran is ready to play an active role in ending the war in Ukraine. (2023). Fars News. January 11, at: http://fna.ir/1tm7i8. (In Persian).
  28. Sayadi, H., & Sanaei, A. (2019). The Place of Looking at the East Discourse in Changing Iran’s Foreign Policy Approach by Emphasizing on the Geopolitical Genome of Russia. Central Eurasia Studies, 12(1), 115-135. doi: 10.22059/jcep.2019.252470.449751 (In Persian)
  29. Sazhin, V. (2022). Russia-Iran Partnership: An Overview and Prospects for the Future, May 19, at: https://russiancouncil.ru/common/upload/RIAC-IRAS-Russia-Iran-Report29en.pdf.
  30. Shokoohi, S. (2023). Putin's Misperceptions and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Central Eurasia Studies,15(2), 265-288. doi: 10.22059/jcep.2023.349531.450103. (In Persian)
  31. Solution to Ukraine war is dialogue. (2022). Tehran Times. February 25, at: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/470493/Solution-to-Ukraine-war-is-dialogue.
  32. Taliaferro,, Lobell, S. & Ripsman, N. (2009). Neoclassical Realism, the State, and Foreign Policy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  33. The Russian ambassador in Tehran thanked the position of Iranian authorities in the war in Ukraine. (2022). Anatoly News Agency. June 9, at: https://www.aa.com.tr/fa.
  34. The Russian ambassador in Tehran thanked the position of Iranian authorities in the war in Ukraine. (2022). Anatoly News Agency. June 9, at: https://www.aa.com.tr/fa/2582924
  35. Therme, C. (2022). The Russian-Iran Partnership in a Multipolar World, The French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), 1_30.
  36. Trenin, D. (2018). What Drives Russia’s Policy in the Middle East?. European Union Institute for Security Studies, 23, at: https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/CP_146.pdf.
  37. Ukraine conflict and media battle. (2022). IRNA, May 7, at: https://irna.ir/xjHZM5.
  38. Valizadeh, A., & Salehi, M.R. (2019). Factors Influencing the Security Cooperation between Iran and Russia in Central Asia. Central Eurasian Studies, 13(1), 299-323 .doi: 10.22059/jcep.2020.295455.44988. (In Persian).