Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Iran, only his second international trip since he launched the invasion into Ukraine. Since February 24, Russia has achieved pariah status in the West, and many analysts believe that the Iran visit was a way for Putin to show to the world the he does have allies. Putin, the leader of the most heavily sanctioned country in the world, met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the leader of the second most heavily sanctioned country in the world, on issues relating to unblocking Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea and the ongoing civil war in Syria. Raisi also hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
All three countries have complicated relationships with one another. Turkey and Russia are on opposing sides in Syria and in Libya; they are competing for influence in the South Caucasus; Turkish combat drones have been supporting the Ukrainian military. As for Iran, it’s competing with Russia in global energy markets. Erdoğan has so far refused to join in on Russian sanctions and offered to play a mediating role between Moscow and Kyiv, including assisting in brokering a deal to restart shipments of blockaded grain in Ukraine.
The talks between Putin and Raisi brought forth a $40 billion agreement between Iran’s national oil company and Russia’s state-run gas company Gazprom to develop Iranian gas fields and build new pipelines for export. However, there is skepticism as to whether anything will materialize due to Iran’s heavily restricted economy. The US has imposed secondary sanctions that place firms or individuals that deal with Iran at risk of being penalized. Investment in Iran’s energy sector would trigger enforcement action from the US that would jeopardize Russia’s continued energy exports to Europe and to other countries. In recent months, there has been tense energy competition as they desperately find buyers for their sanctioned oil. With the West barring Russian oil, Moscow and Tehran have been competing for energy exports to China. And in regards to the Iran nuclear deal, Russia asked for guarantees that protect its own national interests, angering many in Iran.
As is the case in international relations, there is always more to the story than what you see in the immediate news headlines. Russia and Iran do have some common goals in the Middle East and both claim to be unfairly targeted by the US and its allies. Nevertheless, they are both vying for influence in the region and competing in the energy markets. There are limits to how far they can go.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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