Russia has given Iran something more important than weapons

The visit of Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, to Russia once again raises questions about Moscow’s position on the conflict between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other.

This visit should not come as a surprise. Russia is a great power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Iran and Russia are also friendly states, as stipulated in the 2025 treaty signed between them. Therefore, the most viable strategy is to promote peace, even if military escalation offers short-term benefits.
Such benefits do exist for Moscow, including rising oil prices and the diversion of attention away from the conflict in Ukraine.

However, Russia is fully aware that a temporary improvement in the oil market does not remove the need to restructure its economy in the face of Western sanctions.

It is also clear that external conditions alone are insufficient for achieving its objectives in Ukraine.

On this basis, Moscow does not focus on short-term gains but instead places greater emphasis on resolving the conflict and mitigating its negative consequences. These include a potential humanitarian crisis in Iran, a global economic slowdown caused by excessively high energy prices and the resulting drop in demand, the risk of a financial crisis due to disruptions in regional financial centres, and threats to Russian companies that have significantly expanded their presence in the region in recent years.

Tehran appears to view Moscow’s position as aligned with its interests. Iran has managed to withstand a powerful military attack by the US and Israel, which is often seen as a major tactical victory.