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Why Russia Fell Out with Iran

(UnHerd) Dr. Ian Garner - A decade ago, pundits were hailing Russia and Iran as the world's "new power couple." Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the relationship seemed only to be deepening. Military commitments have increased, as Iran sent thousands of Shared drones to aid the Russian army's aerial campaign against Kyiv. Two recent events have shaken the Moscow-Tehran relationship to its foundations: first, Vladimir Putin's indifferent response to Israel and America's bombing of Iran; second, the leak of internal Russian documents that reveal a vast ongoing spying operation and deep mutual distrust between the purported allies. In a nutshell, Russia does not trust Iran and seems unready to offer its ally any military support. There was never any realistic possibility of Putin offering military support. The Russian army is exhausted by the vast losses sustained in Ukraine. Even if the capacity did exist, Putin has long been careful to avoid provoking Israel, which is home to more than a million Russian speakers. The writer is assistant professor of totalitarian studies at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw.
2025-07-01 00:00:00
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