Vigilant partnership between Russia and Iran in the case of Syria

 

The relationship between Russia and Iran is described as vigilant one. It is because the two parties are keen to maintain a level of cooperation that does not jeopardize their interests.

Syria has represented a major test of the two parties' actual ability to expand the level of cooperation and create a closee partnership and strategic alliance. However, the case of Syria was nothing more than an expression of the vigilant partnership between the two countries since the high-level coordination that began between them after Qassem Soleimani’s visit to Moscow on July 24, 2015 and the meeting that he had held with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigui. That visit contributed to persuading Russia of the feasibility of the intervention militarily in Syria for both sides,i.e, Iran and Russia.

In fact, the outcomes of the Astana track, as well as the division of Syria's airspace east and west of the Euphrates River between the United States and Russia, constituted  an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the latter and Iran. But soon, the two sides began competing in many sectors.

Accordingly, this report illustrates the competitiveness and cooperation between Iran and Russia in Syria as a model for a vigilant political and military partnership. Moreover, this report attempts to predict the fate of this relationship according to the criteria of trust, political motives, and the balance of power.

This report is directed to the actors and observers of the shape and fate of the relationship between Russia and Iran in Syria, including researchers, decision-makers and media professionals, as a contribution to offer insights to the context and fate of this partnership between the two sides.