How did the Ukraine war unite Iran and Russia? – Mehr news agency Iran and world’s news
According to Mehr News Agency, the American think tank “Atlantic Council” in a report investigated the consequences of increasing tension between the West and Russia; The tension that they have is the strategic agreements and multifaceted cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. In the following, we read a summary of this report;
Russia’s attack on Ukraine plunged Moscow into a difficult and isolated situation, and at the same time provided an opportunity for Iran’s closer relations with this great world power.
The United States, the European Union and the Group of Seven (G7) have imposed severe sanctions against Russia. These multilateral punitive sanctions have put Russia in a similar position to Iran; A country that has enough experience to circumvent sanctions and get rid of its harmful effects.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, Iran has considered Russia’s aggression as a legitimate response to the Kremlin’s security concerns, which stem from the actions of the United States and NATO. The new government of Ebrahim Raisi also admires Moscow’s pragmatic foreign policy.
Given the long-term hostility between Iran and the United States, as well as the failure of the 2015 nuclear deal, the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran have become tired of strategic patience and have become more determined to reintegrate into the international community.
On July 22, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the field of foreign policy, stated that instead of trying to appease and compromise with the West, Tehran should turn to Russia for support and strategic alignment. Velayati noted: Russia has a strong history of supporting the Islamic Republic.
Leaders and political officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran believe that Russia’s attack on Ukraine can shake the structure of the international system in such a way that Iran’s national interests are ultimately secured.
The withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA in 2018 by the administration of Donald Trump led many Iranian officials to conclude that it is impossible to lift economic sanctions against Iran in such a way as to guarantee the long-term normalization of trade relations with other countries.
As a result, the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, instead of dealing with the agreement, have put the neutralization of sanctions at the top of their agenda; An issue that requires the expansion of relations with other embargoed countries to be a guarantee for foreign trade.
The imposition of severe sanctions against Russia can open up huge opportunities for the Iranian economy, as Moscow and Tehran’s agreement to replace SWIFT with domestic financial messaging systems has revealed, showing that Iran and Russia can now compensate for the losses caused by the sanctions. to strengthen their business.
According to “Javad Oji”, the Minister of Oil of Iran and the head of the Joint Economic Commission of Iran and Russia, the volume of trade between the two countries has increased significantly in 2022 and is aiming to reach the level of 40 billion dollars. Meanwhile, the volume of trade between the two countries was estimated at 4 billion dollars in 2021.
Recent reports regarding the expansion of military cooperation between the two countries indicate that bilateral relations are reaching a new level. In addition, on August 9, Russia launched an Iranian intelligence satellite into Earth orbit from Kazakhstan. Last year, the leaders of Tehran and Moscow agreed on a 20-year cooperation agreement.
In sum, the escalation of tensions between the West and Russia gives Iran the opportunity to advance its political, economic and military programs while securing maximum benefits.