Semivolos: Moscow will leave Iran "at a broken trough"

Iran, despite the agreement on comprehensive cooperation with Russia, will most likely remain "at a broken trough." After all, for Russia, the priority is the war in Ukraine, for which it needs to maintain relations with the United States. This opinion was expressed by Igor Semivolos, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, in an interview with LIGA.net .
He noted that Iran has a long history of relations with Russia, which are mostly negative. Therefore, the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement with Russia, signed in January 2025, has caused serious criticism within the country. Some Iranian elites resisted rapprochement in order to "have room for maneuver."
"As of now, Iran has no room for maneuver. They really need to get assurances from Russia that it will help. But does Russia need this? It just doesn't need it. This is a kind of zugzwang for Moscow," Semivolos said.
According to him, Russia seeks to maintain relations with the United States, because the United States' position on the Russian-Ukrainian war gives Moscow "certain hopes."
"They don't want these hopes to be dashed against the Iranian ship. Most likely, there will be a lot of loud words, but little action. And here the Iranians may find themselves at a broken trough," the director of the Center suggested.
Semivolos stressed that Russia's behavior will be "a clear signal to anyone who believes that Moscow can help anyone."
- On June 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Moscow.
- Through Araghchi, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a letter to Russian dictator Putin asking for help after the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.