Iran-Russia Relations: New Opportunities and Existing Problems

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2022.4.727

Keywords:

economic relations, Iran, Russia, cooperation, counterterrorism, Syria

Abstract

Iran and Russia have had increasing and changing relations from 1991 to 2021. At first glance, the close political relationship of Russia and Iran has been on the bilateral, regional, and international levels. Tehran and Moscow have fluctuating political, economic, and technical-military trade, so the level of economic and trade cooperation has remained less than $ 4 billion over three decades. Despite their cooperation in three major regional crises, this cooperation lacked institutionalization and lasting mechanisms. On the international level, Iran and Russia emphasize a multipolar and multilateral international system and oppose double standards on human rights and the protection of the UN Security Council, pursuing a common policy in this regard. At the same time, however, this does not mean that there are no problems in Iran-Russia ties, and the general trend of relations shows that despite common interests and threats, these relations have not been lasting and long-term ones and therefore have been faced with problems and limitations. The main question is why do Iran-Russia ties face problems such as limited trade, short-term regional cooperation, and being influenced by other international actors? In this article, it is observed that attitudes and programmes presented by domestic and international media, Russia’s regional balance policy, and Iran’s behaviour outside the international system have limited the level and depth of relations between the two states. To examine this hypothesis, the author first looks at the trend of relations over the last three decades and then discusses the opportunities and possibilities that affect these relations. Finally, he reviews and analyses the existing problems and obstacles hindering stable relations.

Author Biography

Jahangir Karami

PhD, Associate Professor, University of Tehran.

16th Azar Str., Enghelab Sq., 1417466191, Tehran, Iran.

ORCID 0000-0001-8815-7069

jkarami@ut.ac.ir

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Published

2022-11-04

How to Cite

Karami, J. (2022). Iran-Russia Relations: New Opportunities and Existing Problems. Quaestio Rossica, 10(4), 1258–1273. https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2022.4.727

Issue

Section

Problema voluminis