Russia views Iran as a strategic ally and is ready to mediate between Tehran and Washington, a senior Russian academic said, arguing that the West cannot isolate the two countries if they remain aligned.
Nikolay Plotnikov, director of the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information at the Russian Academy of Sciences told Iran's state news agency IRNA, “We are ready to serve as a mediator between Iran and the United States if that helps solve problems through dialogue."
As Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has until now rejected direct talks, the option of mediation is now essential as US President Donald Trump threatens Iran with military action if it does not reach a nuclear deal within two months.
Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin have had better relations than most US presidents with Moscow, though the relationship is still complex, making Moscow an unlikely choice of mediator.
A recent letter from Trump to Iran's Supreme Leader was delivered by the United Arab Emirates.
But the academic, from an institution closely associated with the Putin administration, said diplomacy is the only viable path to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
“There is no evidence Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons,” he said, adding that Tehran is under “closer inspection by the IAEA than many other countries.”
In the interview in which he discussed a recently signed strategic partnership agreement between the two governments, he said the two allies remain firm friends in the face of global sanctions.
“With cooperation between Russia and Iran, neither Washington nor Brussels can bring us to our knees,” said the academic known to move among Russia's political and business elite.
Moscow and Tehran have increased their military cooperation in recent years, particularly in Syria, where both backed former President Bashar al-Assad.
Additionally, Russia has deployed Iranian-made drones and and possibly missiles in Ukraine, despite Tehran’s official denials.
The strengthening of ties between Russia and Iran has accelerated in recent years, driven by mutual isolation stemming from Western sanctions – imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and on Iran for its nuclear program, support for regional armed groups, and human rights abuses – as well as a shared strategic interest in countering US influence in the region.
However, some media outlets and commentators in Iran, who are in favor of resolving differences with the West, have warned about Russia's true intentions in recent months.
Both countries are also seeking ways to circumvent the sanctions, with recent discussions exploring the expansion of trade using national currencies and alternative financial mechanisms.
Plotnikov also pushed back against Western concerns about Iran’s nuclear intentions in spite of UN reports saying Iran has enough uranium for six nuclear weapons.
Asked whether Moscow could distance itself from Tehran under Western pressure, Plotnikov said that Russia’s foreign policy doctrine in fact prioritizes its relationship with Iran.
“I recommend that you carefully study doctrinal documents such as the concept of Russia’s foreign policy and its priorities. Iran is one of the countries whose relations with Russia are being developed as a priority,” he said.
The Maximum Support Act, introduced by Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), would require the administration to develop an aggressive interagency strategy aimed at backing Iranian dissidents who would be pivotal in the process.
The legislation outlines a broad suite of initiatives including facilitating secure communications for activists, appointing a special representative for coordinating support efforts, and forming multi-agency teams to counter online censorship and regime surveillance.
It also calls for offering safe channels for defection by Iranian officials and utilizing information shared by defectors.
“The Iranian regime will fall sooner rather than later,” Wilson said.
“As the fall of Assad in 12 days illustrated, these regimes are a lot weaker than they think they are. I’m grateful to introduce this bipartisan bill which will provide maximum support to the Iranian people in their struggle for democracy and human rights.”
Panetta highlighted the importance of focusing on broader Internet access to empower the Iranian public as the government uses crackdowns and censorship as a form of suppression.
“The Maximum Support Act counters these abuses by bolstering internet freedom, seizing regime assets to aid pro-democracy efforts, and supporting those resisting oppression," he said.
One element involves redirecting seized Iranian assets under US jurisdiction to fund civil society actors inside Iran — including strikers and injured protesters — under what the bill describes as strict vetting and oversight.
The bill urges the administration to evaluate whether Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) could be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The US State Department has said of the organization, "MOIS has a history of wrongfully detaining US nationals and has been designated across various sanctions programs."
Just last month, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), imposed sanctions on three Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) officials who were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of former FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson.
"Reza Amiri Moghadam, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and Taqi Daneshvar, all played a role in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, probable death, and Iran’s efforts to cover up or obfuscate their responsibility," the statement said.
"This action follows the December 2020 OFAC designations of two Iranian MOIS officers, Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, who acted in their capacity as MOIS officers in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, detention, and probable death."
The latest bill has drawn support from advocacy groups. “It’s high time Washington develops a policy that levels the contest between the most anti-American state and the most pro-American street in the region,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said.
“Maximum support for the Iranian people is a perfect complement to maximum pressure, and an increasingly necessary element of the equation with respect to Iran, deal or no deal.”
Andrew Ghalili, senior policy analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, called the measure “the strongest bill ever introduced in support of the Iranian people,” describing it as “exactly the kind of decisive action the US should take to align itself with the Iranian people’s vision for a free Iran.”
The initiative is part of a broader legislative push by the Republican Study Committee. The package includes bills expanding sanctions, limiting waivers for Iranian oil exports, and targeting Iran-backed militias across the region.
Sponsors say this approach combines pressure on Iran’s leadership with tangible backing for its opponents at home.