Transactional partners: How 200-year distrust shapes Russia’s response to the Iran conflict

In March 2026, arsenic the fume cleared implicit Tehran pursuing the U.S.-Israeli run against Iran’s leadership, Russia’s effect was strikingly restrained. Despite a 20-year strategical concern pact signed with Tehran conscionable past year, Moscow constricted its absorption to condemnation and calls for diplomacy. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia had received nary petition from Iran for subject assistance. "There were nary requests from Iran successful this case," Peskov told reporters connected March 5th.

For analysts who survey the narration betwixt Moscow and Tehran, the infinitesimal felt familiar. "The narration has ever been transactional," said Ksenia Svetlova, enforcement manager of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security (ROPES) and an subordinate chap astatine Chatham House. "Russia does what serves its ain interests."

While Iran and Russia person moved person successful caller years — peculiarly aft Moscow’s 2022 penetration of Ukraine — experts accidental the concern has ne'er resembled a existent alliance. Instead, they say, it reflects a agelong past of practice shaped by convenience, rivalry and shifting geopolitical needs.

HEGSETH WARNS RUSSIA AS SIGNS POINT TO MOSCOW SHARING INTEL WITH IRAN

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, greets Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi anterior to their talks astatine the Kremlin successful Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 23, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The Shadow of Turkmenchay

The uneasy narration betwixt the 2 powers stretches backmost astir 2 centuries. In 1828, the Treaty of Turkmenchay forced Persia to cede ample parts of the Caucasus to the Russian Empire aft a subject defeat. The pact remains 1 of the astir achy symbols of overseas domination successful Iranian governmental memory.

In the twentieth century, Russia’s narration with Iran shifted dramatically. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Moscow maintained comparatively unchangeable ties with Iran nether Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. "It really had bully relations with the Shah who visited Moscow aft World War II," Svetlova said.

"But Communist Russia was precise suspicious of Islamist Iran aft the 1979 revolution," said Svetlova. It was a communal distrust; Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini denounced some Cold War superpowers, calling the United States the "Great Satan" and the Soviet Union the "Lesser Satan." 

Even during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, the Soviet Union maintained ties with Tehran portion simultaneously supplying weapons to Iraq. "The Soviet Union was precise suspicious of Islamist Iran," Svetlova said. "Even aft the revolution, the narration could not truly beryllium considered an alliance."

AS UKRAINE WAR DRAGS ON, TRUMP HITS PUTIN BY SQUEEZING RUSSIA’S PROXIES

Iran uses Russia exercises to reposition onslaught drones successful Strait of Hormuz, a defence adept said. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Drone Marriage

In caller years, however, geopolitical pressures pushed the 2 countries person together. Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022 created caller subject practice betwixt Moscow and Tehran. 

Though Russia and Iran person not shared a onshore borderline since the 1991 illness of the Soviet Union, they stay "neighbors" via the Caspian Sea. This "blue border" became a captious artery successful 2022 erstwhile Iran supplied the Shahed-series drones utilized successful Ukraine, that Russia has utilized extensively successful attacks connected Ukrainian infrastructure.

Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a retired Navy SEAL and erstwhile lawman commandant of U.S. Central Command, said the concern has had nonstop consequences connected the battlefield. "Sadly, the satellite is conscionable present getting a sensation of Iranian drones. But there's 1 radical that already knows them well, the Christians successful Ukraine," Harward said. "Close to 600 Ukrainian churches person been destroyed by Russian attacks, including from the Iranian Shahed drones."

The remains of a Russian-made, Iran-designed Shahed-136 drone, known successful Russia arsenic a Geran-2, are displayed with different recovered drones, glide bombs, missiles and rockets successful Kharkiv connected July 30, 2025. (Scott Peterson/Getty Images)

Carrie Filipetti, enforcement manager of the Vandenberg Coalition and a erstwhile lawman adjunct caput of state, argued that Russia’s continued usage of Iranian drones against Ukrainian targets underscores the extent of the subject relationship, portion its calls for restraint successful the existent struggle item a cardinal contradiction. "If Russia were superior astir peace, we would spot a ceasefire with Ukraine months ago," she said. "Yet, Putin continues to onslaught Ukrainian cities, churches and civilians with Iranian drones time aft day."

And yet, Russia’s dependence connected Iranian drones during the aboriginal stages of the Ukraine warfare has besides diminished arsenic Moscow built its ain accumulation capacity. A study cited by the Washington Post recovered that Russia has "transitioned from importing Iranian Shahed drones to mass-manufacturing them" nether the sanction Geran-2.

Limits and Intelligence

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia "should not beryllium involved" successful the escalating struggle betwixt the United States, Israel and Iran, arsenic reports that Russia has provided accusation that could assistance Iran place U.S. subject assets successful the Middle East emerged. Moscow has not publically confirmed the claims. 

"I judge Russia is providing Iran quality to much efficaciously people Americans, our allies and partners successful the CENTCOM region," said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, a retired Air Force serviceman who served arsenic adjunct vice main of unit of the U.S. Air Force. "It's perfectly wide Russia is not our friend."

IRAN LAUNCHES SATELLITES ON RUSSIAN ROCKETS AS MOSCOW-TEHRAN TIES DEEPEN

Members of the Iranian Navy be the associated Navy workout of Iran, China and Russia successful the Gulf of Oman, Iran, successful this handout representation obtained connected March 12, 2025.  (Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)

"They are doing for the Iranians without spending money, spending troops oregon spending equipment," Svetlova added. "They stock knowledge. They supplied the Iranians with a people list, basically, done their satellites – American targets, but besides aerial targets successful the Gulf and Iraq."

Harward argued that confronting this increasing practice requires a broader strategy. "If we privation to interruption the menace of the progressively unsafe Russian-Iranian alliance, we request to afloat decimate Iran's capabilities to endanger our allies and the United States – and we request to proceed to enactment Ukraine and get Europeans to bash their part," helium said.

Filipetti remains skeptical of Moscow’s relation arsenic a mediator. "The thought that Russia would telephone connected the U.S. and Israel to cease subject operations against the authorities successful Iran and suggest that we should negociate is absurd," Filipetti said.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful Tehran. ((Photo by Dmitry AZAROV / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by DMITRY AZAROV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images))

Although Russia is falling abbreviated of helping Iran successful a straightforward subject way, experts accidental the practice successful the satellite of quality has been profound. 

Ultimately, Newton argued that Russia’s actions should beryllium viewed done the lens of President Vladimir Putin’s broader geopolitical goals. "Putin lone does what serves Putin, and close present escalating the warfare successful the Middle East and driving up lipid prices lone serves his interests truthful helium tin proceed to money his warfare instrumentality against Ukraine," helium said.