Strategic Cooperation between Iran and Russia; Opportunities and Challenges

The relations between Iran and Russia in recent years has turned the concluding a strategic and long-term agreement into a dominant debate among experts. This attempt can be considered as an important step into strengthening strategic relations Iran-Russia, which is based on the mutual interests of the parties and extending their interaction in a long-term period. Despite the diversity and multiplicity of issues contained in this agreement, relations between the two countries during the past twenty years have proved that this agreement in practice and especially in terms of economic goals has not been able to affect the totality of the relations between the two countries and it is a solid basis for Change in the relations between the two countries. Basically, the relations between the two countries during these years has been less based on the attention and reliance on this agreement, and the strategic transformation that has taken place in the cooperation of the two countries in the field of regional issues such as the Syrian crisis is the product of the understanding of the military and political elites of the two countries on the time requirements and developments and therefore, strategic cooperation between them in the region was inevitable. For this reason, the agreement cannot be considered as a substitute for the comprehensive strategic cooperation document. The document of strategic cooperation Iran-Russia should be a starting point and a great departure for new, all-round and multifaceted relations with Russia and become the basis for turning Moscow into a long-term strategic partner of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In order to achieve such a document, it is very important to accurately assess the potential and actual capacities and resources that advance the relations between the two countries and to identify the opportunities and obstacles for it. In the present article, while trying to explain the conceptualization of the nature of strategic relations, the most important factors promoting this type of relations between Iran and Russia are pointed out, and in addition to explaining some of the challenges and limitations of this process, also the requirements of it will be explained.

Keywords:

Iran , Russia , Strategic Agreement , Strategic Cooperation.