IRAN’S STANCE ON THE RUSSO-UKRAINE CONFLICT: PRIMER

In 2021, Iran prioritized easing tensions with neighbors and bolstering relations with non-Western
powers, namely China and Russia.
● Hundreds of Iranian drones have reportedly been used by Russia against civilian and military
targets in Ukraine.
● Right now, Iran deems it best to be on Russia’s good side so that it can depend on it for
potential economic, military, and diplomatic lifelines in any hypothetical future confrontations with
a league of western powers, headed by the United States.
1. Russia’s veto power as a permanent UN Security Council member is of substantive
value to Iran, since its behavior will undoubtedly be debated in the chamber again in the
future. The Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear file is open to resolution by world
powers, it needs a diplomatic savior, and buoying up Russia as it scrambles for
battleground successes in Ukraine could be a shortcut to securing that kind of rapport
while the rest of the world remains skeptical of Iran’s nuclear pursuits.
2. They can, as they are already doing, come up with new means of bypassing the SWIFT
system and eliminating the dollar from their transactions.
● The Islamic Republic is looking to court Russia in order to modernize its military.

Iran’s stance toward Russia and the Ukraine crisis is “Neither War, Nor Dominance” and according to
Foreign Minister Abdollahian, the Islamic Republic is closely monitoring developments in Ukraine with
“serious concern.” However, in practice the close relations between Iran and the Russian Federation, in
parallel with Tehran’s efforts to maintain relations with Ukraine, have complicated Iran’s approach to
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Iran has now shifted from rhetoric about friendship with Russia at summits to visibly supporting Moscow in
a high-profile military conflict.

In December 2022, President Zelensky condemned Tehran for backing Moscow. “Russia found an ally in
this genocidal policy,” he told the U.S. Congress. “Iranian deadly drones… became a threat to our critical
infrastructure. That is how one terrorist has found the other.”

IRAN’S EFFORT TO HELP IN THE UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

Had a phone call with Poland where they talked about the crisis
● The Iranian foreign minister referred to the dispatch of a plane carrying humanitarian supplies
in cooperation with Iran’s Red Crescent Society and the International Red Cross, expressing
Tehran’s readiness to send relief aid to Ukraine’s refugees.
● Iran’s aid groups are prepared to offer any humanitarian assistance to the refugees in
Poland in coordination with the International Red Cross.
● Amir Abdollahian reaffirmed Iran’s stance on the need to end the Ukraine crisis via a political
solution and said, “Based on the principles of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy and without
any double standards, we do not see war as a solution neither in Ukraine, nor in Yemen,
Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world.”

Iran has become the second-largest refugee-hosting country globally this year. In total, Iran hosts
some 4.5 million Afghans of varying status – including resident permit holders, undocumented Afghans,
and family passport holders – many of whom have been in the country for an extended period and require
support to strengthen their resilience.
Iran’s support for refugees is demonstrated through its inclusive policies, which encompass protection,
assistance, education, and healthcare, inspiring the global community and positively impacting the lives of
refugees.
● all Afghans are guaranteed free education in Iran and many of them are able to use the hidden
subsidies the government allocates to control the prices of food, medicine and petrol.
● UNHCR in Iran sponsors about 120,000 refugees to enrol in the health insurance scheme
● “Iran’s policy is commendable. It has not only been generously hosting Afghan refugees but has
also had one of the most inclusive policies because it allows refugees access to some legal
services,” she told Al Jazeera, adding that the UNHCR has not seen a major shift in government
policy as a result of the Taliban takeover.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports any political effort to resolve the crisis,” the top Iranian
diplomat said. “We are against war whether in Ukraine, Afghanistan or Yemen and any other place
without exception."