ArmInfo. The Islamic Republic of Iran is conducting a session of simultaneous foreign policy games in the Caucasus and the Middle East, in the Afghan direction, in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. This is how Russian political scientist Sergei Markednov commented on the agreement on strategic partnership signed between Moscow and Tehran on January 17.
The expert recalled that on the morning of January 17, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow, where, following negotiations with Vladimir Putin, the Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was signed. In this vein, he noted that the expected Russian-Iranian rapprochement is of increased interest.
The expert noted that with the start of the SVO in Ukraine, Russia is viewed from the outside (and positions itself from the inside) as the main challenger to the American-centric world order. "In the modern world, many countries are dissatisfied with the military-political dominance of the United States. But, at the same time, they are in no hurry to break with the West and join forces with Moscow. As a result, the popular political and expert narrative is about the "strategic loneliness" of Russia and its two allies, the "army and navy". In this context, any partnership or alliance agreements with non-Western countries, be it China, North Korea, or Iran, are expected to be in the information focus. The Iranian case is special. The Islamic Republic, in the language of chess players, is playing a simultaneous foreign policy game in the Caucasus and the Middle East, in the Afghan direction, in Central Asia and the Caspian. And almost all of the above problems are Moscow's foreign policy priorities," Markednov stated.
He further recalled that the signing of a bilateral strategic agreement had been discussed for more than one year and Mohammad Javad Zarif (Iranian Foreign Minister in 2013-2021) said that the bilateral Agreement on the Fundamentals of Relations and Principles of Cooperation (2001) required a serious update.
"However, between Tehran and Moscow, everything is never that simple. On one side of the scale is the rejection of Pax Americana and extra-regional intervention, the fight against radical Islamist (Salafi) movements, wariness (but at the same time "competitive cooperation") in relation to Turkey. But on the other side is the centuries-old burden of mutual distrust (in the Iranian intellectual community, ideas about Russia as one of the imperialist Western powers are very strong), and also, if you like, national egoism. Moscow could not and cannot look at Israel with Iranian eyes, and Tehran - with Russian eyes at the initiative adjustments of borders in Eurasia," the political scientist is sure.
At the same time, he believes that it is important for Tehran today to feel the Russian shoulder after sensitive jabs in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and on the eve of Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, known for his "special love" for the "Ayatollah regime". "But Moscow also feels the power of geopolitical jabs in the Caucasus and Syria. And hopes for "Trump the savior" are good for TV shows and for speeches by exalted Duma members, but not for reality. And the Iranian shoulder in this context will definitely not be superfluous," Markedonov noted.
The Russian expert noted that the agreements include mutual defense cooperation, obligations not to help third parties in the event of their aggressive actions against Moscow and Tehran, as well as various separatist movements. Of fundamental importance is the provision of Article 12 on "preventing interference in the Caspian region, Central Asia, Transcaucasia and the Middle East" by external forces. However, the signed document does not mean the formation of a military-political union. "Both the head of the IRI MFA Abbas Araghchi and the Iranian ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalili clearly and bluntly stated this. "The agreement, despite its multifaceted nature, is more of a framework," notes one of the leading Russian Iranologists Vladimir Sazhin. In essence, it has secured on paper much of what Moscow and Tehran are already implementing in practice. But, as they used to say in the old days, "there is still a lot of interesting work ahead," Markedonov concluded.
On November 17, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement. The document was signed in Moscow by the presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, following negotiations.
The document consists of a preamble and 47 articles. A third of the document is devoted to issues of bilateral military-technical cooperation and international security. In a separate clause (Article 12), Moscow and Tehran stipulated that they would contribute to "strengthening peace and security in the Caspian region, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, and the Middle East" and cooperate to prevent "interference in the said regions and the destabilizing presence of third states there."