It is surprising that the Russians have a military base for their troops in Iran, what is even more surprising is the fact that Iran has granted them a foothold in its territory. Military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has existed for a long time, during which the Russians used Iranian airspace and military airports to carry out their joint operation aimed at defending the Assad regime. Why have relations taken a step forward with Russians being granted the use of an Iranian military base, instead of Iran simply allowing the Russians to use their airspace? This makes the situation suspicious and we will continue to wonder about the nature of this new alliance until we are provided with convincing answers.
I doubt that the joint war in Syria is the only motivation behind this development. Around three months ago, the Kremlin officially announced the withdrawal of most of its troops from Syria. It said that it had accomplished most of its goals in Syria. Weeks after this announcement, the world learned that the Russian command had actually increased its participation in the war and escalated its sorties in the Syrian airspace.
Does Moscow’s step toward expanding its military activity in the Middle East, including the adoption of Iran’s Hamadan airport as a base for Russian aircraft, have anything to do with its struggle with NATO in central Asia, eastern Europe and what used to be Soviet Union republics?
Speaking to Russia Today, the Russian government’s NATO representative said that NATO had moved toward implementing a deterrent plan against Russia. He added that the western alliance was deploying four battalions in eastern European countries to enhance its presence in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea and also stated that NATO was intensifying its patrols in Baltic countries.
Even if confronting the West is the Russian excuse for using Iran as a military headquarters, this does not justify its support of Tehran, a move which cannot be considered within the map of strategic balance against NATO.
Truth be told, Iran is engaged in wars, which do not concern the US, such as the wars in Syria and Yemen. The Iranians are cooperating with the Americans in Iraq on a military level, something we have seen play out in Al-Anbar, Fallujah and most recently in Mosul. Therefore, if the Russian justification behind their alliance with Iran is that it’s directed against the US and NATO in general, it contradicts the facts of the battlefield.
It is likely that Moscow’s rapprochement with Ayatollah Khamenei’s regime will come at the expense of its relations with other countries in the Middle East. Many Arab leaders, presidents and kings have visited the Kremlin, signed economic deals and agreed on unprecedented military purchases. These visits, and the Arab rapprochement with Moscow, led many military and political figures in Washington to criticize Barack Obama’s administration for the perceived abandonment of regional allies leaving the space open to the Russians.
In granting the Russians the Hamadan military base, the Iranians may be aiming to negotiate with, and blackmail, the Americans following the apparent failure of the nuclear agreement, which was reached last year between Iran and the West. The alternative to the agreement is military cooperation between Iran and the Russians but what’s new about that? Cooperation between the two countries is nothing new, however, the Iranians now want Russia to be more than an arms trading partner and instead become an ally in Iran’s wars.
These are all the possible scenarios one imagines when analyzing the Iranian-Russian decision. The alliance between the two countries also reflects Moscow’s desire to expand its military and political influence, or it could be part of the Russian strategy to confront Iran, or it could be part of an Iranian plan to blackmail the West into activating the nuclear agreement.
I doubt that the joint war in Syria is the only motivation behind this development. Around three months ago, the Kremlin officially announced the withdrawal of most of its troops from Syria. It said that it had accomplished most of its goals in Syria. Weeks after this announcement, the world learned that the Russian command had actually increased its participation in the war and escalated its sorties in the Syrian airspace.
Does Moscow’s step toward expanding its military activity in the Middle East, including the adoption of Iran’s Hamadan airport as a base for Russian aircraft, have anything to do with its struggle with NATO in central Asia, eastern Europe and what used to be Soviet Union republics?
Speaking to Russia Today, the Russian government’s NATO representative said that NATO had moved toward implementing a deterrent plan against Russia. He added that the western alliance was deploying four battalions in eastern European countries to enhance its presence in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea and also stated that NATO was intensifying its patrols in Baltic countries.
Even if confronting the West is the Russian excuse for using Iran as a military headquarters, this does not justify its support of Tehran, a move which cannot be considered within the map of strategic balance against NATO.
Truth be told, Iran is engaged in wars, which do not concern the US, such as the wars in Syria and Yemen. The Iranians are cooperating with the Americans in Iraq on a military level, something we have seen play out in Al-Anbar, Fallujah and most recently in Mosul. Therefore, if the Russian justification behind their alliance with Iran is that it’s directed against the US and NATO in general, it contradicts the facts of the battlefield.
It is likely that Moscow’s rapprochement with Ayatollah Khamenei’s regime will come at the expense of its relations with other countries in the Middle East. Many Arab leaders, presidents and kings have visited the Kremlin, signed economic deals and agreed on unprecedented military purchases. These visits, and the Arab rapprochement with Moscow, led many military and political figures in Washington to criticize Barack Obama’s administration for the perceived abandonment of regional allies leaving the space open to the Russians.
In granting the Russians the Hamadan military base, the Iranians may be aiming to negotiate with, and blackmail, the Americans following the apparent failure of the nuclear agreement, which was reached last year between Iran and the West. The alternative to the agreement is military cooperation between Iran and the Russians but what’s new about that? Cooperation between the two countries is nothing new, however, the Iranians now want Russia to be more than an arms trading partner and instead become an ally in Iran’s wars.
These are all the possible scenarios one imagines when analyzing the Iranian-Russian decision. The alliance between the two countries also reflects Moscow’s desire to expand its military and political influence, or it could be part of the Russian strategy to confront Iran, or it could be part of an Iranian plan to blackmail the West into activating the nuclear agreement.
