Publications
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Russia and Iran Partners in Defiance from Syria to Ukraine (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2026)
- Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has cast a spotlight on Russia’s burgeoning partnership with Iran. Moscow looked to Tehran for drones and ammunition to fuel its so-called ‘special military operation’, and Iran’s support for Russia’s war reflected a decade-long strengthening of Russo-Iranian ties, beginning with the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian Civil War.
- Despite a relationship historically marred by mistrust and unmet expectations, the two regimes have worked together to promote their common interests in Syria, where battlefield coordination soon developed into much deeper political alignment. Drawing on extensive Russian and Persian primary sources, and interviews with elites from both countries, Nicole Grajewski uncovers the drivers of ever-closer cooperation between the Kremlin and the Islamic Republic. Detailing the internal structures, shared anxieties and broader ambitions underpinning this alignment, she explores the genesis of Russia and Iran’s mutual antagonism towards the Western-led global order; the impact of deep-seated leadership concerns over regime security and domestic protests; and the future trajectory of the partnership within the larger world order.
- Examining both military dynamics and economic endeavours, as well as elaborate sanctions evasion schemes and collaboration within international organisations, this is the definitive account of contemporary Russia–Iran relations.
Articles and Commentary
- Grajewski, Nicole. Authoritarian Learning: What Do the Iran Protests Mean for Russia? Meduza. January 15, 2026.
- Grajewski, Nicole. How Russia Is Supporting Iran's Repression Foreign Policy. January 14, 2026.
- Grajewski, Nicole. The Countdown to Prevent Another Iranian Nuclear Crisis Just Began Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. August 28, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Iran After the Battle Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Diwan. July 1, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole. The Most Significant Long-Term Consequence of the U.S. Strikes on Iran Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. June 26, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole. What Have the U.S. and Israel Accomplished in Iran? The New Yorker. June 24, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Why We Won’t Know for Some Time Whether U.S. Strikes in Iran Worked New York Magazine. June 23, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Ankit Panda. US Should Not Become a Pawn in the Israel-Iran War Boston Globe. June 18, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Jane Darby Menton. MENA at the Threshold? Proliferation Risks and Great Power Competition Texas National Security Review. September 29, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Or Rabinowitz. Will Iran and Russia's Growing Partnership Go Nuclear? Foreign Affairs. January 28, 2025.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Why Did Iran Allow Bashar al-Assad's Downfall? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Diwan. December 9, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Why Syria Matters to the Kremlin The Atlantic. December 3, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. What the Fall of Aleppo Means for Russia Foreign Policy. December 2, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Russia's Updated Nuclear Doctrine Isn't a Blueprint for Weapons Use. Its Primary Value Is Manipulation Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. November 26, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Jamie Kwong. Will Iran Withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty? War on the Rocks. November 1, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Iran Has Shown Its Vulnerabilities Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Diwan. October 28, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Karim Sadjadpour. Autocrats United: How Russia and Iran Defy the U.S.-Led Global Order Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. October 10, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Iran Is at a Strategic Crossroads Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. October 3, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and James M. Acton. The Forgotten World War III Scare of 1980 Foreign Policy. June 9, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Out of the Shadows: The Implications of Iran's Recent Duel With Israel Arms Control Association. June 1, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. The Iran-Russia Friendship Won't Wither Under Raisi's Successor Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. May 21, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Iran's Eastward Turn to Russia and China Crown Center for Middle East Studies. May 20, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Iran and Israel's Dangerous Gambit Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – Emissary. April 18, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. Russia and the Global Nuclear Order Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. March 18, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole, Toby Dalton, and Mark Hibbs. Dimming Prospects for U.S.-Russia Nonproliferation Cooperation Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. March 14, 2024.
- Grajewski, Nicole. China, Russia, and the USA in the Middle East Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. November 30, 2023.
- Grajewski, Nicole, and Ellie Geranmayeh. Alone Together: How the War in Ukraine Shapes the Russian-Iranian Relationship Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. September 23, 2023