Iran is conducting session of simultaneous foreign policy games in  Caucasus and Middle East - expert 

ArmInfo. The Islamic Republic of Iran is conducting a session of simultaneous foreign policy games in the Caucasus and the Middle East, in the Afghan direction, in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. This is how Russian political  scientist Sergei Markednov commented on the agreement on strategic  partnership signed between Moscow and Tehran on January 17.

The expert recalled that on the morning of January 17, Iranian  President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow, where, following  negotiations with Vladimir Putin, the Agreement on Comprehensive  Strategic Partnership was signed. In this vein, he noted that the  expected Russian-Iranian rapprochement is of increased interest.

The expert noted that with the start of the SVO in Ukraine, Russia is  viewed from the outside (and positions itself from the inside) as the  main challenger to the American-centric world order. "In the modern  world, many countries are dissatisfied with the military-political  dominance of the United States. But, at the same time, they are in no  hurry to break with the West and join forces with Moscow. As a  result, the popular political and expert narrative is about the  "strategic loneliness" of Russia and its two allies, the "army and  navy". In this context, any partnership or alliance agreements with  non-Western countries, be it China, North Korea, or Iran, are  expected to be in the information focus. The Iranian case is special.  The Islamic Republic, in the language of chess players, is playing a  simultaneous foreign policy game in the Caucasus and the Middle East,  in the Afghan direction, in Central Asia and the Caspian. And almost  all of the above problems are Moscow's foreign policy priorities,"  Markednov stated.

He further recalled that the signing of a bilateral strategic  agreement had been discussed for more than one year and Mohammad  Javad Zarif (Iranian Foreign Minister in 2013-2021) said that the  bilateral Agreement on the Fundamentals of Relations and Principles  of Cooperation (2001) required a serious update.

"However, between Tehran and Moscow, everything is never that simple.  On one side of the scale is the rejection of Pax Americana and  extra-regional intervention, the fight against radical Islamist  (Salafi) movements, wariness (but at the same time "competitive  cooperation") in relation to Turkey. But on the other side is the  centuries-old burden of mutual distrust (in the Iranian intellectual  community, ideas about Russia as one of the imperialist Western  powers are very strong), and also, if you like, national egoism.   Moscow could not and cannot look at Israel with Iranian eyes, and  Tehran - with Russian eyes at the initiative adjustments of borders  in Eurasia," the political scientist is sure.

At the same time, he believes that it is important for Tehran today  to feel the Russian shoulder after sensitive jabs in Syria, Lebanon,  Yemen and on the eve of Donald Trump's arrival in the White House,  known for his "special love" for the "Ayatollah regime". "But Moscow  also feels the power of geopolitical jabs in the Caucasus and Syria.  And hopes for "Trump the savior" are good for TV shows and for  speeches by exalted Duma members, but not for reality. And the  Iranian shoulder in this context will definitely not be superfluous,"  Markedonov noted.

The Russian expert noted that the agreements include mutual defense  cooperation, obligations not to help third parties in the event of  their aggressive actions against Moscow and Tehran, as well as  various separatist movements. Of fundamental importance is the  provision of Article 12 on "preventing interference in the Caspian  region, Central Asia, Transcaucasia and the Middle East" by external  forces. However, the signed document does not mean the formation of a  military-political union. "Both the head of the IRI MFA Abbas  Araghchi and the Iranian ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalili clearly  and bluntly stated this. "The agreement, despite its multifaceted  nature, is more of a framework," notes one of the leading Russian  Iranologists Vladimir Sazhin. In essence, it has secured on paper  much of what Moscow and Tehran are already implementing in practice.  But, as they used to say in the old days, "there is still a lot of  interesting work ahead," Markedonov concluded.

On November 17, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership  agreement. The document was signed in Moscow by the presidents of the  two countries, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, following  negotiations.

The document consists of a preamble and 47 articles. A third of the  document is devoted to issues of bilateral military-technical  cooperation and international security. In a separate clause (Article  12), Moscow and Tehran stipulated that they would contribute to  "strengthening peace and security in the Caspian region, Central  Asia, Transcaucasia, and the Middle East" and cooperate to prevent  "interference in the said regions and the destabilizing presence of  third states there."