New Political Growth Points for Strategic Cooperation Between Russia and Iran: Sharing Experience or Strengthening Trust?

Abstract

The article analyzes new political dimensions of Russian-Iranian relations, which are in many ways a unique example of interstate cooperation, which is due to the peculiarities of the international political situation and the interests of the two states. As the most influential states of the Caspian region and having long-term experience of regional interstate cooperation, Russia and Iran undoubtedly lay claim to regional leadership. This determines a fairly extensive set of political disagreements that exist between the two countries. Sometimes these disagreements give rise to an active political struggle, which often involves other Caspian states. The economic interests of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran also do not always allow the possibility of coordination on a parity basis. An example here is the long-standing discussion about the status of the Caspian Sea and the division of its oil-bearing shelf, as well as the competition between different routes of export oil pipelines. Attention is drawn to the fact that Russia and Iran, being, based on the realities of the geographical and international political position, regional states-competitors, on the world stage often show themselves as allies, developing coordinated approaches to key international problems. In this situation, the general level of relations between the two states is subject to sharp changes, since interactions include periods of exacerbation of bilateral contradictions and periods of close interaction.