Iran’s possible military cooperation with Russia does not make it party to Ukraine war
By Delaram Ahmadi
Staff writer
Ukraine recently attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming it was carrying weapons to Russia. Kiev had earlier repeatedly accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia – allegations that have formed the basis for some European sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Ukraine has also claimed that Russia provided Iran with satellite intelligence on US bases in the region during the Iran-US war. In an interview with Iran Daily, international affairs expert Ebrahim Pourvahedi said Ukraine has presented no conclusive evidence of Iranian military assistance to Russia. Besides, Tehran and Moscow, as strategic partners, are entitled to exchange conventional weapons under bilateral agreements and such transactions do not amount to participation in any particular war. He also said the recent developments could be seen as the US effort to use Ukraine as a tool to expand the scope of its confrontation with Iran.
How do you assess Ukraine’s claim that Iran has transferred weapons to Russia? Should the new claims be seen as a continuation of the same political and media campaign to link Iran to the war in Ukraine and justify pressure and sanctions against Tehran?
The claims made by Ukraine and some European countries regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s provision of military assistance to Russia are not new. In fact, these allegations can be analyzed as part of an effort to create an imaginary and fictitious front against Ukraine and the interests of Western countries, with the aim of deflecting attention from and covering up the failures and setbacks suffered by these countries in their confrontation with Russia.
Moreover, no conclusive evidence of cooperation between Iran and Russia, particularly in the area of military assistance, has so far been presented. Setting aside the political and unsubstantiated aspects of these claims, Russia and Iran, as strategic allies, can, like any other countries, purchase or exchange conventional weapons within the framework of bilateral understandings. This does not mean participation in a specific war.
Ukraine has also claimed that Russia provided Iran with satellite intelligence on US bases during the recent war. Can these claims be seen as serving the political purpose of linking the Iran-US conflict to the war in Ukraine?
Ukraine has in recent years become a tool for the United States and its Western allies in pursuing certain extra-regional adventures. In fact, Ukraine can be regarded as a victim and a low-cost instrument for Western governments, led by the United States, to exert pressure on the East.
Naturally, the Americans would be interested in using this tool to expand the scope of their confrontation with Iran and, by assigning a role to Ukraine, ramp up the pressure on the Islamic Republic and countries aligned with it. The claims made by Ukraine, including the allegation that Russia helped provide satellite intelligence to Iran during the US war against Iran, can naturally be viewed within this framework and as a sign of the Americans’ mounting failures in their futile war against Iran.
In fact, assigning Ukraine a role in pressuring and accusing Iran can be assessed as one of the Americans’ attempts to get out of the quagmire of their war with Iran. Other examples of this had previously been seen, including Zelensky’s visits to Arab countries to establish air defense systems during the Ramadan war.
Can Ukraine’s attack on the Iranian vessel be seen as part of an effort by the United States and its allies to expand the scope of their confrontation with Iran and open up new fronts, including in the north?
Yes, that is the case. The United States’ failure to achieve its objectives in the war with Iran, along with mounting pressure on Trump and the US administration to end the costly war with Iran, has forced them to draw on all available means, including expanding the scope of the conflict.
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