Iran and Russia’s New and Developing Relationship

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaking at an address (Wikimedia Commons)

Following a series of tumultuous events in the Middle East, including Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Iranian strikes on Israel, and a developing missile deal, Iran and Russia have grown much closer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on October 11, 2024. The West has sanctioned the two leaders, who have committed to a friendly relationship. The two leaders have a history of praising one another, with each sharing a “very close” worldview. Pezeshkian has said their stances on issues are closer “than to others.” Their October meeting marks the continued development of this important relationship in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Iran and its allies with Israel. 

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the current events unfolding in the Middle East, according to Russian state news media. Putin wants to create, in his own words, a “new world order,” which has garnered the attention of many world leaders that are not part of the “first-world,” including the leaders of Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Iran has thus far supplied large amounts of weapons to Russia to fuel its war effort, including thousands of Shahed attack drones, which have changed the course of modern warfare, as well as short range ballistic missiles and other devastating armaments. 

This is not the only interest that the two countries share, though. The Russian and Iranian governments both support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which signifies a deep similarity in ideology. Scholars say that as these two countries are sanctioned more heavily and become isolated from the rest of the world, they will find more common ground.

The Istanbul-based consultancy Bosphorous Observatory has said that Iran can potentially share knowledge with Russia on how to evade sanctions from the West, which have historically been a matter of great strife to them. The West typically sees sanctions as a symbol of condemnation towards autocratic regimes rather than an attempt to destroy the opposing economy. But President Pezeshkian stated that Iran was determined to strengthen bilateral ties with Russia and counteract “cruel” sanctions from the West. 

On the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advocated for bilateral relations, citing the importance of handling the conflicts in the Middle East. There have been reports alleging Russian support for the Iranian-backed Houthis involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, though Bout denies them.

Although Russia is bogged down in Ukraine and Iran in its conflict with Israel, the meeting demonstrates that the relationship between the two countries will only get stronger as the West further isolates their autocratic governments.