Iran as a 'Strategic Partner of Russia' in the Curriculum of Russian Schools

In the new academic year, Russian students will study a course introducing Iran as a 'strategic partner' of Russia as part of their geography and history lessons. Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, a new chapter in Russia-Iran relations has emerged, yet some experts still question the 'strategic' nature of the ties between the two countries. Nevertheless, the new directive from the Russian Ministry of Education has been released amid reports of the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and preparations for signing a strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries. According to the directive, topics related to Iran's geographical and economic position, natural and human resources, historical periods, and its contemporary status will be taught to middle school students (grades five to nine). In previous academic years, 'foreign countries in Asia' included China, India, and Japan, but the new curriculum has added Iran, emphasizing that 'Iran is a strategic ally of Russia.' Iranian studies and the Persian language are also taught in 15 Russian universities, and the cultural center of the Islamic Republic's embassy in Moscow offers four-month courses for Persian language education. Recently, Masoud Ahmadvand, the cultural attaché of the Iranian embassy in Russia, noted that there is a direct correlation between the strengthening of Russia-Iran relations and the number of people interested in learning Persian. Several years ago, Ali Larijani, the former speaker of the Iranian parliament, expressed Iran's desire to form a strategic coalition with Russia in the region. His remarks received widespread attention in Russia, but at that time, Russian diplomats explicitly denied any 'special' cooperation with Iran, stating that relations with Iran are as important to Russia as its relations with other Middle Eastern countries. Even amidst the unprecedented convergence of Russia and Iran in support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Russia sought to expand its relations with Israel and Iran's regional rivals. In 2019, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, responded to a CNN reporter's question about whether Russia is an ally of Iran by saying, 'I would not use such terms to describe our relations with Iran.' Some experts on Iranian affairs believe that the request for a strategic alliance has been raised in Tehran but is not compatible with Moscow's interests, even considering the evident developments following the start of the war in Ukraine. Recently, Russia's stance on the establishment of the Zangezur corridor, which the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan disagree on, has provoked Iran's objections; Russia's position regarding the three islands also prompted Iran's warning about 'no change in borders.' These criticisms of Russia come at a time when Tehran has increasingly tied its interests to Moscow, especially after the escalation of tensions with the West over its nuclear and missile programs and regional interventions. Recently, Ne'matollah Yazdi, a former Iranian ambassador to Russia, told ILNA news agency, 'There is a perception that Russia is our close and strategic friend, which I do not accept.' Experts on Russia-Iran relations believe that despite the apparent change in the nature of the two countries' relations, the essence of these relations has not changed, and this comes at a time when, following Iran's assistance to Russia in circumventing Western sanctions and especially the supply of suicide drones (and possibly ballistic missiles) used by the Russian army in Ukraine, Russian officials have consistently referred to Iran as a 'strategic partner.' The Russian Foreign Minister confirmed the 'superficial' nature of relations with Iran. Sergei Lavrov, in mid-September, referred to the imminent signing of a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating, 'It is symbolically important that the preparations for this treaty are finalized as soon as possible.' The government of Ebrahim Raisi was pursuing the signing of this agreement, and the process accelerated before his death; however, Russian diplomats have repeatedly pointed to 'administrative' or 'ceremonial' obstacles. At the same time, it is not out of the question that this agreement could be signed during the first meeting of Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian President, with Vladimir Putin next month on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia, which is scheduled to take place from October 22 to 24 in Kazan. Meanwhile, according to Nikolai Kozhanov, a Russian expert on Middle Eastern affairs, the relations between Russia and Iran have always been and will continue to be a 'marriage of convenience.'