Iran has been known as "anti-American," and relations between the two countries have become increasingly tense since Trump scrapped the JCPOA. Against this background, Iran's relations with Russia are getting closer.
Recently, however, Ahmadinejad's accusations against Russia have raised eyebrows, raising questions about Iran's intention to return to the West. But is this true?
Although Ahmadinejad stepped down in 2013, he remains active in Iran** and presents himself as a hard-line conservative. In the eyes of most people, he is a man from a poor background, but he has always adhered to a tough stance on the United States.
On the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad is a staunch defender of Iran's rights, and he will not compromise no matter what external pressure he faces.
At the 2005 United Nations summit, Ahmadinejad made his first appearance on the international stage after becoming the first to become the world's leader, and this stage was in the US "sphere of influence", and the outside world had a hunch that the United States would definitely let Ahmadinejad taste the bitter pain.
As expected, the United States first delayed Ahmadinejad's visa application, and then reluctantly issued a visa to state that the visa could only be used within 40 kilometers of the United Nations headquarters, which was a warning to Ahmadinejad.
However, Ahmadinejad responded with a calm and unhurried attitude, which left a deep impression on the United States.
At the breakfast meeting at the United Nations, Ahmadinejad had an in-depth exchange with the representative of the United States, which gave American journalists a new understanding of him. In his speech at the United Nations, Ahmadinejad first expressed concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and then began his critical rhetoric.
Ahmadinejad condemned the United States for abusing its host-nation status to erect obstacles for representatives of other countries, while criticizing a handful of countries for launching devastating wars in the name of security and confronting the challenge to American authority.
Ahmadinejad has always been a staunch anti-American fighter, so it was surprising that when the regional conflict broke out at the end of February this year, he openly supported Ukraine and criticized Russia's actions.
Some believe that this may signal a shift in Iran's attitude, which may move closer to the West in the future.
At the beginning of March 2022, Ahmadinejad had expressed his opinion on social **, saying that Putin in Russia had made an "unwise decision", and he called on Putin to stop this "demonic act" because he would only incur remorse and not success.
After criticizing Putin, Ahmadinejad clearly sided with Ukraine, praising Ukraine as "heroic" and Zelensky as "heroic", saying that Zelensky "exposed the devil's tricks" and firmly believed that Iran would side with Ukraine.
Ahmadinejad's remarks immediately sparked widespread speculation that Iran might be on the side of the United States this time, because everyone knows that it is actually the United States that is supporting Ukraine this time.
Some indications appear to indicate Iran's possible proximity to the United States, including activities at the Russian embassy in Tehran and frequent Iranian contacts with the United States to exchange views on sanctions and oil.
When Biden took office, the United States had already expressed its willingness to talk to Iran and possibly even lift sanctions on Iran. This is a great attraction for Iran, especially after the conflict, when oil prices have been sharply **, even reaching an unprecedented $110 per barrel.
In addition, Russian oil has also been boycotted by the United States and European countries. If the United States lifts sanctions against Iran at a critical moment, then Iran may gain an advantage in the market and make a lot of profits.
However, this does not mean that Iran will turn completely to the West.
While there is speculation that Iran is about to turn around, Ahmadinejad's opinion does not matter in Iran. He used to be an Iranian **, but that was ten years ago.
During this time, Iran has changed two **, and the opinion of the former ** does not represent the official attitude of Iran. Although Ahmadinejad has a reputation among the Iranian people, his influence on ** is minimal.
He does not belong to the most powerful Shiite group, nor does he have a deep relationship with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, and even Rouhani, who is more moderate to the West, is not on his side, so it can be said that he is isolated.
Raisi, the current Iranian leader, is firmly opposed to NATO's eastward expansion, believing that it is the root cause of regional conflicts. His views represent the official attitude of Iran, and neither the domestic climate nor Ahmadinejad's approach will have an impact on this.
Iran has made it clear that it supports Russia. However, Iran's rhetoric does not fully reflect Iran's attitude, because the real leader of Iran is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei reportedly did not condemn Russia, although he believes that Ukraine is also a victim of the conflict, but at the same time believes that US foreign policy is the root cause of regional conflicts, because the United States frequently creates unrest.
Khamenei's attitude is obvious: although he hopes that the war will end as soon as possible, he also hopes to reveal the truth about the outbreak of the war and let the world see the true face of the United States.
However, one may wonder if Khamenei's shift in stance will affect Khamenei, given that he has been a strong supporter of Ahmadinejad. In fact, Khamenei has long since stopped supporting Ahmadinejad, because earlier, Ahmadinejad's criticism of Iran's foreign and livelihood policies has caused him to lose Khamenei's support.
This can be seen in the 12th edition of the *** candidate registration held in Iran in 2017, where Ahmadinejad made it clear that he would not run for the election.
This shows that Khamenei's stance is firm and unaffected by Ahmadinejad's personal factors.
Khamenei was adamantly opposed to Ahmadinejad's candidacy, but Ahmadinejad did not heed the leader's advice and insisted on registering for the election, believing that the voice of the voters was more important. However, in the end, he was disqualified, indicating that the Supreme Leader's recommendation was decisive.
In addition, Iran's recent visit to Russia and the signing of an agreement with Putin make it clear that Iran is not unprepared.
Iran has made it clear that no matter how Ahmadinejad sides with Ukraine and the United States, it will continue to deepen cooperation with Russia, led by Khamenei and Raisi. Putin immediately said that Iran is a "strategic partner" of Russia, and the parties agreed.
Some believe Ahmadinejad's move is simply an attempt to regain the affection of voters. In addition to the official attitude unchanged, Iran will not turn to the West at this stage, because Iran has no common interests with Ukraine and the United States, and cannot do without Russia.
Although after the regional conflict, some voices in Iran believe that Iran should take advantage of this time to ease relations with the United States in order to improve Iran's international environment, but Iran** did not adopt their opinions.
There are two main reasons for this. First of all, while the lifting of sanctions is very important for Iran, Iran is well aware that even if Biden is willing to negotiate with Iran to lift sanctions, the process will not be too fast.
This may be round after round of negotiations, promising countless "big pies", and in the end it may not achieve any results before the change of the United States, and the new ** may have new policies, which will bring uncertainty to Iran.
Second, there has always been strong anti-American sentiment in Iran, especially after the assassination of Soleimani, and Iran has always kept in mind its hatred with the United States.
Therefore, there is no need for Iran to be on the side of the United States at this time. Moreover, there are not many common interests and exchanges between Iran and Ukraine, and even Iran has offended Ukraine before.
Therefore, it is not necessary for Iran to establish close relations with Ukraine. In general, Iran** believes that détente with the United States is not a wise option, which may not only bring no benefits to Iran, but may also create more uncertainty and risks for Iran.
In the early morning of January 8, 2020, a Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed in the territory of Tehran Province, Iran, killing all people on board.
Subsequently, Iranian officials admitted that it was the army's operational error that caused the accident, because just a few days ago, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Quds Force, Soleimani, was assassinated by the US military, which led to a sharp deterioration in US-Iranian relations, and Iran's air defense systems were in a state of readiness.
Although Iran later announced that the fall was caused by a radar deviation, in any case, the Iranian side made a mistake that led to the tragedy, and tensions between the two countries increased as a result.
Iran does not necessarily support Ukraine, but Russia's interests are closely linked. Not because Iran is Russia's strategic partner, but because Russia is Iran's largest grain importer**.
This year, Iran needs to import 20 million tons of grain from Russia. We are well aware of the importance of food to the country, and if there is no food, we will die, so we cannot let foreign countries choke our necks on food.
Iran has not achieved complete food self-sufficiency, with an urbanization rate of more than 75%, a declining agricultural population, average agricultural conditions and backward technology, resulting in low agricultural production and a cereal self-sufficiency rate of only about 85%.
The country is not only dependent on imports of food, but also needs to import fertilizers and agricultural machinery products, and the food problem is serious. The international food market has been affected by regional conflicts and climate, food prices have soared by 40%, and major food countries such as India have restricted wheat exports, exacerbating the global food crisis.
This has an impact on the lives of the Iranian people, with inflation reaching as high as 40%. Therefore, Iran needs to strengthen its cooperation with Russia to ensure food for its more than 80 million people**.
Iran must maintain good relations with Russia to ensure its own food security and reassure its population. In addition, good Russian-Iranian relations will also help Iran acquire the best equipment and advanced technology, safeguard and safeguard its interests in the Middle East.
So, despite all the variables, Iran and Russia remain allies on the same front, at least for now, and will not turn to the West.