Hans van Koningsbrugge, professor of Russian History and Politics at the University of Groningen, gives his commentary on the war in Ukraine every Saturday. Episode 101 today.
Iran’s role for Russia is growing. What you hardly read about here is that in the month of July, for example, 169 ships sailing between Iranian and Russian ports in the Caspian Sea turned off their transponders for three to seven days, making them invisible all that time. The Caspian Sea is a large, salty lake surrounded by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijanis and Iran. It is now Putin’s Persian Gulf and the main hub for supplying Russia from Iran and vice versa.
Why do ships always turn off the transponder?
Big questions now are, why do those ships always turn off that device that allows you to follow their course? What does Iran provide to Russia and what do they get in return from across the sea?
Look, Russia formally supports international economic and trade sanctions against Iran. But yes, how do you get stuff and goods if you can’t expect anything from the few friends you have? North Korea itself is as poor as a rat. Syria? A few hundred volunteers at most. Belarus. Not much either. Nicaragua and Venezuela? Zero.
In Washington they see that too
China keeps a low profile. But Iran can provide usable material to Russia. Iran is becoming Russia’s major supplier. At least they provide drones, and God knows what else. Chips for computers and all kinds of components for Russian industry.
It is also not surprising that the US is now starting a dialogue with Iran. Because in Washington they also see that a lot can come from Iran and that the country has therefore become a significantly more interesting trade flow for Russia.
Communism used to be atheistic
And those warm ties between the two countries can easily be explained. Look, Russia used to be communist and atheistic and therefore could not become friends with an Islamic dictatorially led theocratic country like Iran. But don’t forget one thing. Iran and Russia unite in defense of conservative traditional values. Today, the Russian Orthodox Church is simply the state church again. In short. In terms of thinking, they are less distant from each other.
For Ukraine, it means that they have been attacked by about 3,000 Iranian drones that Russia sends to the country. Iran says that they had already delivered it before the war started, but no one believes that. And Iran will probably get things from Russia that it couldn’t get before because of the international sanctions. I quickly think of stuff for the Iranian nuclear industry.
For us it means that the war lasts longer and that we spend more money to enable Ukraine’s fight against Russia.”