JERUSALEM, Israel – Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Iran on Tuesday to deepen ties with the Islamic Republic as Moscow continues its months-long war in Ukraine.
The visit is Putin’s second trip abroad since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February. Putin is scheduled to hold talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The talks will be centered on several pressing issues facing the region, including the Syrian civil war and a UN-backed deal aimed at resuming exports of Ukrainian grain to alleviate the global food crisis.
The three countries support opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Iran and Russia backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey supporting anti-Assad rebels. On June 1, Erdogan also announced plans to launch another operation to target what he calls Kurdish “terrorist” groups in Northern Syria. Iran and Russia oppose the operation.
Although Turkey is a NATO member and has fought against Russia in previous conflicts, both sides see something to gain in the high-stakes talks in Iran. Unlike other countries, Turkey has not imposed sanctions on Russia, making it a desperately needed potential partner for an increasingly isolated Moscow. Meanwhile, Turkey is relying on the Russian market as it grapples with economic woes of its own. Additionally, Turkey has sought to help broker talks to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s growing isolation on the international stage has only increased its need for partnership with Iran, which has also been the target of severe US sanctions. Likewise, Iran is more open to talks with the Kremlin amid reports of an emerging US-backed Arab-Israeli alliance that could tip the balance of power in the Middle East away from Iran.
“Considering the evolving geopolitical ties after the Ukraine war, the establishment tries to secure Moscow’s support in Tehran’s confrontation with Washington and its regional allies,” an unnamed senior Iranian official told Reuters.
Putin’s visit to Iran comes just days after US President Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia to push back on Russian, Chinese and Iranian influence in the region. Putin’s trip sends a clear message to the West that the Kremlin is ready to bolster ties with Western enemies.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov called Iran “an important partner for Russia,” and said the two nations have “a desire to take their relations to a new level of strategic partnership.”
The White House believes the growing relationship between Iran and Russia is already beginning to bear fruit. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said last week that Iran is preparing to send hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles — including armed drones — to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine. CNN reported a Russian delegation visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in the last month to examine weapons-capable drones.
Iran has denied the US claims.
Meanwhile, Iran hopes that with Russia’s support, it could pressure the US to make concessions for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. The accord, signed between Germany, China, Britain, France, Iran, Russia and the United States, lifted most international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. Critics argue the original deal was poorly negotiated and gave Iran a path to a nuclear weapon by gradually lifting restrictions on its nuclear program. Proponents argue that the deal’s restrictions were actually working to slow Iran’s nuclear capabilities and were better than no deal at all.
The pact collapsed in 2018 when former US President Donald Trump abandoned the accord and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran. A year later, Iran began violating the limits of the deal and has ramped up its nuclear development in recent months, bringing it closer than ever to a nuclear bomb.
Biden wants to revive the deal, but indirect talks between Washington and Tehran stalled in March.
Caught in the middle is Israel, which sees Iran as a direct threat to its very existence. Israel opposes the Iranian nuclear deal and says it has plans to attack Iran if needed.
Israel also finds itself in a tough position amid American efforts to fight Russian influence in the Middle East. Israel has good relations with Russia and has collaborated with Moscow on frequent airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in neighboring Syria.
However, the war in Ukraine is straining Israel’s relationship with Russia. Israel’s prime minister has accused Russia of committing war crimes and Jerusalem has sent medical aid to Ukraine.
In response, Moscow demanded earlier this month that Israel stop its “categorically unacceptable” airstrike campaign against Iranian-backed targets in Syria, signaling a further breakdown of ties between Jerusalem and the Kremlin.
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