n recent weeks, much to the chagrin of traditional allies in Europe, the Trump administration has rolled back American support for Ukraine and adopted a decidedly friendlier approach toward the Kremlin. That reversal, punctuated by a very-public Oval Office dust-up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is nothing short of a boon for Russian president Vladimir Putin, now increasingly grappling with the destabilizing domestic effects of his protracted war on Kyiv. Meanwhile, the new White House's penchant for deal-making is providing an opportunity for Russia to improve its position still further—by offering itself up as a diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran.
The proposal is as unexpected as it is audacious. Russia and Iran boast an extensive strategic partnershipstretching back decades. Over the years, that union has covered everything from arms sales to support for the Iranian regime's assorted strategic programs. Moscow has also run interference for Tehran in various international fora, using its diplomatic clout to blunt the effectiveness of Western sanctions and lessen the Iranian regime's international isolation.
Over the past three years, the partnership has become deeper still, as Russia's military offensive in Ukraine, and the resulting Western pressure, have helped transform Russia into an international pariah. That has turned the Islamic Republic into something resembling a lifeline for Putin's government.
Since mid-2022, Iran has become a major player in Russia's war on Ukraine. It has provided Moscow with thousands of "kamikaze" drones that the Russian military subsequently used against Kyiv and other Ukrainian population centers, to devastating effect. It has helped Russia erect a drone manufacturing facility to build still more indigenously. It has assisted Moscow in circumventing international sanctions and acquiring dual-use components and technology for its war effort. It has also provided battlefield "kit," from armor to mortars, that have augmented the capabilities of Russia's fighting forces.
In return, Russia has intensified its involvement in Iran's strategic programs. Last year, Russian missile specialists reportedly visited the Islamic Republic several times to assist the Iranian regime with improving its ballistic missile capabilities amid Iran's escalating tensions with Israel. More recently, The Times of London reports, "Iran has been conducting secret diplomatic missions to Russia to bolster its military and defence capabilities...," as well as to acquire advanced Russian fighter jets and enlist the Kremlin's help in rearming its chief terrorist proxy, Hezbollah.
At the same time, the two countries have expanded economic collaboration and begun integrating their banking systems and financial transactions mechanisms as a hedge against Western pressure.
Back in January, these linkages were formally codified by Putin and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian in a new twenty-year "comprehensive strategic joint agreement." That pact included pledges to "strengthen cooperation in the field of security and defence" and to "closely coordinate activities at the regional and global levels," as well as a raft of new military and intelligence contacts between Moscow and Tehran.
Russia's partnership with Iran, in other words, is deep—and getting dramatically deeper.
For Washington, all this should be instructive. Even as he has restored his policy of "maximum pressure" on the Iranian regime, President Trump has made his interest in potential negotiations with Tehran abundantly clear. And while the Iranian regime has so far rejected the possibility, mounting internal problems—from worsening economic conditions to spreading societal malaise—suggest Iran's ayatollahs will have no choice but to come to the diplomatic table, and likely sooner rather than later.
When they do, they could have an important ally on their side. That's because, when it comes to the Islamic Republic, Russia is hardly an honest broker. Putin may now be positioning himself as a potential solution to Washington's vexing Iran problem. The history, though, proves the Kremlin is really anything but.
