At the international level, it could be argued that a major part of Moscows current foreign policy conduct stems from its confrontation with the West, especially the United States, that began in 2014 over the Ukraine crisis and has since been intensifying over other heated issues, such as Russias military campaign in Syria and NATOs plans for further eastward expansion. Within this context of beingunder pressure by the West,Russiahas been trying to increase its weight in international equations and balance againstthe United States byputting itself at the center of a series of counter-hegemonic bilateral and multilateral partnerships,building cooperation and partnerships with a range of regional and global powers.
Russia's agenda on its eastern fronttherefore includescementingties with China, and in South Asia, expanding and reinforcing relations with India. Meanwhile, at the institutional level, Moscow is trying to further activate and reinvigoratethe Shanghai Cooperation Organization and theBRICS.
Iran, as a regional power in the Middle East, could be part of Moscow's strategy of partnerships and cooperation,but this very notion means that for Russia, the development of relations with Tehran has an exogenous and passive logic, rather than an endogenous and active one. At the regional level, and in connection with the abovementioned points, it should be noted that in the Middle East, Moscows attempts to counterthe United States have not been limited to developing ties with Iran. Although Russia has at present, and on a critical issue such as Syria, comparably the most expansive ties with Iran, it isalso trying to developrelations with other important players in the region.
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