Impact of Russia- US Rivalry on Iran's Regional Status

The Arab uprising that started in late 2011 has changed security order and impacted the political and military strategies of major powers in the Middle East. It also created a new opportunity for global powers to expand their role in the region. In such strategic changes, Russia intervened in Syria to protect the Bashar al-Assad regime. It has created a geopolitical rivalry between Russia and the US in the Middle East, while the ties of the two countries have been reaching the worst situation after the cold war. In this vein, Moscow has pursued to boost its relations with Iran, as an opposite actor to the role of the US in the region. Tehran has played a significant role in Russian foreign policy, as a card in dealing with the US. Meanwhile, the United States and Russia’s competition has spread in the Middle East,. Since the principles of Iran’s foreign policy toward the Middle East have concentrated to undermine what sees US order, Tehran has improved its relationship with Russia. This paper presents the relations among Iran, Russia, and the US under an interlocked cycle, and analyzes the influence of Moscow-Washington rivalry on the Iran-Russia ties.