Russian Foreign Minister Visits Iran; What Do Media and Analysts Say?

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, March 7, to discuss with officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry described Lavrov's visit as 'one day,' and the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Lavrov traveled to Tehran at the invitation of Abbas Araghchi, his Iranian counterpart. However, there is much speculation in Iran regarding the objectives of this visit. Lavrov, who is visiting Iran for the first time since Masoud Pezeshkian's victory in the 1403 presidential elections, had previously traveled to Ankara and Riyadh. He also met directly with Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia and negotiated with the U.S. Secretary of State. Donald Trump's return to power and his efforts to establish communication with Russia, as well as direct negotiations between the two parties in Riyadh, have led Iranian media and analysts to believe that the presence of the Russian diplomat in Tehran is related to the disputes between the Islamic Republic and the United States. The Islamic Republic's government news agency, IRNA, stated in an analysis that although it is unlikely Lavrov has a message from the U.S. during this visit, he may provide an assessment of the new administration's approach in the White House regarding Iran to Iranian officials. The report also added that the issue of Syria will be another important topic that Lavrov and Araghchi will discuss. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Tehran and Moscow have lost their ally in Syria and are now trying to update their strategy for a new order in that country. The newspaper 'Sharq' reported that the senior Kremlin official's visit is an 'attempt by Russia to align Tehran and Ankara with Moscow's interests.' This reformist newspaper noted that Lavrov had previously met with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara and stated that the Kremlin seeks to leverage Iran and Turkey in regional and international issues. The newspaper 'Etemad' also reported in an interview with Abdolreza Faraji Rad that Lavrov's visit is certainly not unrelated to developments in the United States. This geopolitical professor explained that Russia's goal for this visit might be to understand Iran's positions regarding the U.S. to use that in potential future negotiations between Putin and Trump. Ali Motahari, the former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, warned in an interview that Iran should never trust Russia. This former MP pointed out that Russia has harmed Iran throughout history, including during the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA, adding, 'Russia wants Iran to always be against the U.S., and Moscow stands behind that, viewing us as a shield for itself and is very concerned that relations between Iran and the U.S. may improve.' He also referred to the cooperation between Iran and Russia in the Ukraine war, stating, 'They dragged us into the Ukraine war, and the first ones to reveal that we provided drones to Russia were the Russians themselves.' The Islamic Republic of Iran has expanded its relations with Moscow in recent years, coinciding with the onset of the Ukraine war, providing various weapons, including 'Shahed' drones, to Putin's army. This expanded cooperation has come at the cost of new and broader sanctions against Iran. The two countries also recently signed a 'comprehensive strategic agreement' that they claim will bring Tehran and Moscow closer. This relationship has many critics within the country, and opponents warn that Moscow may again turn Iran into a lever in larger games. With Donald Trump's return to the White House, it seems that Russia is no longer in a position of weakness as before, and with direct contacts between Moscow and Washington leaders ongoing, the pressure and isolation of the Kremlin may likely decrease. This is the issue that many in Iran, including the newspaper 'Jomhouri Eslami,' have expressed concern about. This newspaper has called for measures to be taken before Iran becomes a 'bargaining chip in the big deal between Putin and Trump,' ensuring that national interests are prioritized.