The impact of the 2022 Ukraine war on Iran–Russia relations: Iranian elites’ perspective

Shokoohi, Saeed; Ghasemi, Hosein

doi:10.22059/jcountst.2023.366163.1068

The impact of the 2022 Ukraine war on Iran–Russia relations: Iranian elites’ perspective

Document Type : Original

Authors

Saeed Shokoohi

Hosein Ghasemi

International Relations Department, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jcountst.2023.366163.1068

Abstract

Russia's military attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, affected, dramatically, the international system. The following change in the balance of power between the great powers, opportunities and threats has emerged for the Islamic Republic of Iran and has affected the country's relations with Russia. It seems that Iranian instrumental and academic elites have different viewpoints regarding the nature of these opportunities and threats and their effects on Tehran-Moscow relations. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the approach of Iran's (scientific and instrumental) elites towards the war between Russia and Ukraine and its effects on Tehran-Moscow relations. The current paper seeks to answer the question that from the viewpoint of Iranian elites, how the 2022 war in Ukraine has affected the relations between Iran and Russia? In order to investigate the perceptual process of Iranian elites regarding the developments in Ukraine and its impact on Iran's relations with Russia, a questionnaire has been adopted. The data collection method of this research is based on a field study and the data analysis method is "mixed method". The sample of this research consists of 24 instrumental and academic elites with qualifications in this field. The findings of the research indicate that from the point of view of the majority of Iranian elites, geopolitical requirements, common threats and sanctions have been an effective factor in bringing the positions of Iran and Russia closer to the developments in Ukraine. From the point of view of these elites, the relative improvement of relations between Iran and Russia was merely a reaction to international conditions.

Keywords

Iranian elites

Islamic Republic of Iran

Russia

Ukraine crisis

Subjects

International Relations

حوزة موضوعی: ایران، روسیه

Scope: Russia, Iran

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