Iran war: Why is Russia not coming to Tehran’s aid?
Iran War: Why Is Russia Not Coming to Tehran’s Aid?
Iran’s government, facing limited international allies, has been relying on Moscow’s backing amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes. Yet, so far, the Russian response has left Tehran underwhelmed. Just hours after Israeli and US bombs targeted Tehran on Saturday, Russia’s UN representative, Vassily Nebenzia, issued a sharp declaration, labeling the attacks as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state.”
Russia’s Strategic Partnership with Iran
Russia and Iran share a robust alliance, with economic ventures forming a cornerstone of their relationship. Nikita Smagin, an Azerbaijan-based expert on Russia and the Middle East, noted that projects like the North-South transport corridor are vital to Moscow’s interests. This 7,200-kilometer (4,473 miles) multi-mode network, signed by Russia, India, and Iran in 2000, passes through Azerbaijan. Gulf Research Center reports that 75% of the initiative is already completed.
“The North-South transport corridor is one of them — especially since Russia was cut off from its traditional transit routes after starting the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,” Smagin explained.
Iran has also been critical to Russia’s military efforts, particularly through the supply of Shahed drones since 2023. Julian Waller, a research analyst at the US-based Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), highlighted how these drones transformed the Ukraine war. “Iran was useful for the Russian war effort, even if the production [of drones] has now largely been indigenized to Russia, which has improved their design,” Waller told DW.
A Strategic Alliance, Not Ideology
Russia is said to have been exchanging intelligence with Tehran and sending missiles and ammunition to support the Iranian front. However, the partnership is more pragmatic than ideological, according to Smagin. “Russian politicians don’t particularly like Iran,” he said, “but they view Tehran as a reliable strategic partner. Both nations face Western sanctions, unlike Turkey or Egypt, which might halt trade with Russia if pressured.”
Gregoire Roos, director of Europe and Russia studies at Chatham House, noted that Iran has even taken on a mentor role for Moscow. “Iran has had the significant experience of bypassing international sanctions for many years and has been providing Russia with advice on how to circumvent them,” Roos remarked.
Despite this, experts suggest Russia is unlikely to intervene directly in the current conflict. “The two countries are not defensive allies,” Waller said, pointing to an informal non-attack pact with Israel that Russia is believed to have. Mojtaba Hashemi, an international relations expert, added that Tehran had expected “tangible political and military support” from Moscow, including expanded cooperation and a clear deterrent message. “Russia and China have bigger problems to worry about,” Hashemi noted. “Their support has been the same kind that has so far provided the Islamic Republic with many weapons and means of repression.”
Mohammad Ghaedi, a lecturer at George Washington University, argued that the lack of Russian support didn’t surprise Iranian leaders. “Skepticism about relying on Moscow has long existed in Tehran,” he said, citing former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that “Russia has always sold out the Iranian nation.” President Masoud Pezeshkian, after the 12-day war in June 2025, echoed this sentiment, stating that “countries we considered friends did not help us during the war.”
Roos also suggested potential benefits for Russia from a prolonged Iran war. “The media oxygen would grow thinner for [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, because everything is about Iran and the risk of escalation,” he said. “Additionally, Washington could not afford to sustain…”
