The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: Inside Iran's Complicated Relationship with Russia
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Mar 17, 2026 Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at Middlebury College, studies Russian foreign policy and proliferation in the Middle East. She traces Cold War mistrust and how Syria became the turning point for coordination. She maps Russia’s interests and limits in partnering with Iran. She unpacks regional reactions, intelligence ties, and what Moscow gains short term.
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Rooted Mistrust Shapes Russia Iran Partnership
- Russia and Iran have a history of mutual mistrust despite recent cooperation.
- Soviet occupation, support for Iraq in the 1980s, and ideological tensions after 1979 created persistent strategic skepticism between them.
Russia Uses Syria To Project Power And Gain Leverage
- Russia's Middle East aims are security, limited economics, and status rather than deep economic integration.
- Post-2015 Syria intervention gave Russia a military foothold to project power and bargain with Gulf states and Israel.
Ukraine War Pushed Russia Away From Nuclear Mediation
- Russia played an active mediator on the Iranian nuclear dossier until the 2022 Ukraine invasion shifted priorities.
- After February 2022 Moscow became less cooperative with the West, shielding Iran diplomatically and cooling mediation efforts.