The Nowruz  greeting Vladimir Putin sent to Iran’s leadership and people is little more than a seasonal postcard—politically meaningless in a time of war. The Kremlin announced that Putin had extended congratulations to Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian on the occasion of the Iranian New Year. But anyone familiar with Moscow’s strategic mindset knows that Putin does not shed political tears for anyone—not for Khamenei, not for Bashar al‑Assad, and certainly not for Nicolás Maduro. He does not see these figures as “allies,” but as expendable assets to be used and discarded.

The language claiming that “Russia will remain a loyal friend and reliable partner to Iran” belongs to the lexicon of public relations, not to the vocabulary of wartime alliances.

The language claiming that “Russia will remain a loyal friend and reliable partner to Iran” belongs to the lexicon of public relations, not to the vocabulary of wartime alliances.

The much‑advertised “strategic partnership” between Tehran and Moscow contains no mutual defense clause, no binding political commitments, and no guarantees of protection. Throughout its modern political history, Russia has never been a faithful friend to anyone. It sees other states not as partners, but as temporary opportunities to be exploited and then abandoned.

Even inside Iran, officials quietly acknowledge that Moscow has offered Tehran virtually no meaningful assistance during the most severe crisis the Islamic Republic has faced since the........

© Middle East Monitor