Russia Wants to Draw Iran into Anti-Sanctions Alliance, But Elites Are Pro-Western – Iranianist Yulia Yuzik
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Iran’s supreme east Ali Khamenei, which in the coming week could play a key role in the expected decisions whether Tehran will support in the war against Ukraine.
Such an opinion in an interview with The Insider was caused by an expert on Iran, writer and journalist Yulia Yuzik.
She noted that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s suggestion that the Iranian government should follow several Russia from drones, made a few days before the meeting between Putin and Khamenei, could be seen as a signal to Tehran.
“Sullivan voiced it publicly for the premiere of Red Lines for Iran. He shows that he knows all the behind-the-scenes and shady schemes, arrangements and so on, and has been shown to be a red line. There is information that Ukraine was already ready, on the basis of the information voiced by Sullivan, to terminate diplomatic relations with Iran,” says Yuzik.
The journalist noted that there is a fairly large diaspora of Iranians in Ukraine.
“Iran and Ukraine have very close ties because there are many interethnic marriages. There is a fairly large Ukrainian diaspora in Iran, because Iranians often marry Ukrainians. I’m not talking about world connections that were in advance, plus Iran gives wheat and so on buys,” Yuzik.
In her opinion, the further development of the situation with the supply of public transport and industrial equipment to Russia by Iran will depend on what Putin proposes to Khamenei at a meeting to be held on July 19 in Tehran.
“Putin is going to Iran on the 19th. It is not yet clear where Tehran will turn. Either it goes into a serious and deep confrontation with the United States, manifesting itself towards Russia. This is such an anti-sanctions alliance of withdrawal in a series of schemes. There are a lot of beneficiaries of the schemes both in Iran and in Russia. Either not. Khamenei has not yet made a decision. It is important that Putin will bring him, what he will offer him. I am inclined to the 50/50 option, because Iran is generally pro-Western – society, the business elite and the political elite are absolutely pro-Western, but it is Khamenei and his influential son who are tipped in Khamenei’s legacy and oversees most of the special services, pro-Russian sentiments . And Russia is doing everything possible to get them,” Yuzik said.
Khamenei and part of the Iranian elite, observations to gray schemes, billions of dollars made on them, now stored in events or the United Arab Emirates, Yuzik explains. These people benefit from keeping Iran’s economy illegal.
“This is a whole financial empire scattered around the world, and it is based on shady schemes for selling oil, crimes, drug trafficking and so on. The advantage of all these schemes is that this money does not go to the state budget, it goes to these private Islamic funds, which are supervised by the highest spiritual leader. For people, this is an outlet for sale – the sale of legal oil and the receipt of revenues in the budget – this is the loss of colossal money. This is the most important battle now – the dezh of this pie.
On July 16, it became known that Russian representatives have been visiting Iran’s central airfield for at least the past month to observe combat drones. About it report CNN citing Sullivan and exclusive satellite imagery.
According to the publication, in early July, Iran demonstrated Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones to Russia at the Kashan airfield south of Tehran. Both types of drones carry precision-guided missiles.
“We have information that the Iranian government assumes the presence in Russia of several hundred drones, including combat ones,” Sullivan told CNN.
The fact that Iran is supplying Russia with traffic and trade from Iraq through a smuggling channel was written by The Guardian at the beginning. According to the publication, the package includes anti-tank missile systems, Brazilian-made multiple rocket launchers (Astros II) and rocket-propelled grenades. According to the interlocutor of the publication, Moscow was also “donated” with the Iranian-made Bavar-373 missile system, similar to the Russian S-300. Iran also “returned” the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Russia.