Abbas Amanat

That you see now a great power, China, that it's going to remain from what we see around us as a great power.

And Russia, adventurous, foolish, but nevertheless would remain criminal, I would say, as far as its behavior in Ukraine.

But actually, it's a rogue nation that attracts another rogue nation.

So Iran finds itself now in a greater place of security in alliance with Russia in the hope that this would give Iran a greater security in this part of the world.

Whether this is realistic or an illusion,

I think remains to be seen.

I think Iran-China relation makes more sense.

Although if you ask ordinary Iranians, they don't like it.

They would tell, why should we be?

tied up with China as the only trade party with America because of the foolish isolations that you have created for us, because of all the sanctions that you have created for us, the Islamic Republic.

So in a sense, it's a very difficult question to answer.

Probably Iranians also like to be more on the other camp,

But what happens is that in real term, what surprises me most is not this alliance with China, but it's kind of becoming a lackey or subservient to Putin's regime in Russia.

Since if you look at it, Iran...

ever since at least the 19th century, not going further back.

The beginning of the 19th century always viewed Russia as the greatest threat strategically because it was sitting right at the top of Iran.

It was infinitely more powerful than Iran has ever been.

And Iran fought two rounds of war at the beginning of the century, lost the entire Caucasus to Russia, and learned its lesson, that you have to be mindful of Russia, and you have to keep it as an arm's length.

And that's what was Iran's policy throughout the course of the 20th century, 19th and 20th century.

up to what we see now around us, which is a very strange situation.