The Motives of Iranian-Russian Security Cooperation in Central Asia

This article seeks to study the security policies of Iran and Russia in Central Asia and the Caucasus motivations for cooperation between the two countries in the region. It tries to answer the question as to what is the most important factor affecting the cooperation between Iran and Russia in Central Asia since September 11, 2001? The article argues that the main basis of Iranian-Russian cooperation in the region can be found in the nature of the international system and the constraints it puts before the two countries. Iran and Russia are against the US presence in Central Asia and worry about the American activities and influence in the region. That’s because the expansion of the American security umbrella in Central Asia after September 2001 with the pretext of fighting terrorism could have a negative impact on the interests of Iran and Russia in the region. Using the theory of neo-realism, this article shows that the increasing American desire to play an active role in Central Asia after 2001 has created an incentive for Iran and Russia to enhance their cooperation, while some other factors like preventing the spread of terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crimes have also contributed to this trend. The article adopts a descriptive-analytical research method and library sources and documents have been used to collect the necessary data. A theoretical framework based on neo-realism has been developed in order to elaborate and systemize the findings of the research.