A Balancing Act in the Fog of War
On the State of Russian-Iranian Relations
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Russia and Iran have been on a path of rapprochement for about ten years. The two countries’ cooperation in the arms sector dates back to the early 1990s; in both the Syrian civil war and Russia’s war against Ukraine, they stood — and continue to stand — on the same side. As an economic partner and transit country, Iran has become increasingly important to Russia, particularly since 2022. A bilateral agreement concluded in 2025 serves as an expression of their closeness. At the core of the treaty lies security policy cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. However, this agreement did not establish a military alliance. After the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in February 2026, Russia did issue verbal responses — sometimes sharply worded — but it has provided no overt military support. So long as the outcome of the war remains unclear, Moscow will strive to extract maximum benefit from the conflict without committing itself too much politically.
(Osteuropa 1-2/2026, pp. 83–92)