Document Type : Research Paper
Author
PhD in Political Science, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract
This study analyzes Russia’s strategic culture in West Asia and its impact on bilateral relations with Iran from the post-Soviet period (1991) to 2025. Using a qualitative framework grounded in strategic culture theory, the research shows that Russia’s approach toward Iran is shaped by pragmatic opportunism, historical experience, and the desire to maintain influence without overcommitting militarily. Findings indicate that Moscow engages Tehran episodically, balancing cooperation on shared threats with caution to preserve flexibility with other regional actors. Key events such as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the Syrian crisis, and the Ukraine war illustrate Russia’s pattern of diplomatic condemnation, mediation, and selective coordination without binding security guarantees. Russia often treats Iran as a conditional partner, whereas Tehran seeks collaboration on equal terms. Despite these differences, mutual interests in regional stability, energy cooperation, and strategic depth enable occasional tactical alignment under external pressures. Overall, the Russia–Iran relationship is conditional, adaptive, and strategically ambiguous, driven more by pragmatic calculation than ideology. Situating these interactions within strategic culture provides a nuanced understanding of limits and possibilities in West Asia, showing how historical legacies, geopolitical constraints, and contemporary crises shape a partnership that is influential yet fragile.
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