Four months have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has had wide-ranging implications for geopolitical and geo-economic trends in the Middle East. The war could lead to the emergence of new strategic vacuums in conflict zones across the region while reshaping Russian relations with energy players in the Middle East, including Iran. Beyond the immediate assumption that the war will create new opportunities for cooperation between revisionist powers like Iran and Russia, it has also given rise to new potential conflicts of interest.

In the second in a series of events dedicated to analyzing the implications of the war in Ukraine on Russia-Iran relations, the Middle East Institute (MEI) will bring together a panel of experts to provide a detailed picture of how the war might create new areas of competition and rifts between Moscow and Tehran. Renowned experts will discuss key questions, including: What do Moscow’s adjustments in Syria mean for Tehran, and how might they impact bilateral cooperation? How does Moscow see the future of its energy policy, and how could that affect relations with Iran? Can ideological and identity factors compensate for the security and economic conflicts of interest that the war has created between Moscow and Tehran?

Speakers:

Jakub M. Godzimirski
Professor at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)

Diana Galeeva
Visiting Fellow, Oxford University

Hamidreza Azizi
CATS Fellow, SWP Berlin

Abdolrasool Divsallar, moderator
Non-resident Scholar at MEI