![Iranian lawmakers attend a session of parliament in Tehran, Iran July 16, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1120AED380](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/03/RTX6ZRZ1.jpg/RTX6ZRZ1.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=jr-P-UHS)
Alireza Noori is an assistant professor of regional studies at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. His research interests focus on Iran-Russia relations and Russian foreign policy. On Twitter: @AlirezaNoori6
![Iranian lawmakers attend a session of parliament in Tehran, Iran July 16, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1120AED380](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/03/RTX6ZRZ1.jpg/RTX6ZRZ1.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=jr-P-UHS)
![Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks to reporters upon his arrival at the airport in New Delhi, India, January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RC2RFE9JIN9F](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/01-1/RTS2YD5G.jpg/RTS2YD5G.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=fw78P2h6)
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Alireza Noori
![RegionalSecurityDialogue.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/12/RegionalSecurityDialogue.jpg/RegionalSecurityDialogue.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=v1ZHjyAX)
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Alireza Noori
![Iranian workers stand in front of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, about 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran October 26, 2010. Iran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant on Tuesday, one of the last steps to realising its stated goal of becoming a peaceful nuclear power, state-run Press TV reported on Tuesday. REUTERS/Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - GM1E6AQ1G1401](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/11/RTXTUI4.jpg/RTXTUI4.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=-unfYss4)
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Alireza Noori
![Russia's President Vladimir†Putin†and Iran's President†Hassan†Rouhani attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan June 14, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D5F7AAE10](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/09/RTX6ZBSK.jpg/RTX6ZBSK.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=iBvE0eW5)
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Alireza Noori
![Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, May 17, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Pool - RC1B7A332720](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/06/RTS2I3LN.jpg/RTS2I3LN.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=jtp-VU_I)
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Alireza Noori
![Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a news conference, after a meeting in the Black sea resort of Sochi, Russia, 14 February 2019. Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS - RC158EB139B0](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/05/RTX6MQIO.jpg/RTX6MQIO.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=Yt_ofBtq)
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Alireza Noori
![RTX6MPOH.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/05/RTX6MPOH.jpg/RTX6MPOH.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=PUAeBMxD)
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Alireza Noori
![A U.S. fighter walks down a ladder from a barricade, north of Raqqa city, Syria November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - S1AEULHGDXAA](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2019/01/RTX2S5OU.jpg/RTX2S5OU.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=dRJh6KJr)
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Alireza Noori
![An Iranian anti-narcotics policeman stands guard beside the border barrier with Afghanistan near Zabol, 1,605 kilometers (1,003 miles) southeast of Tehran May 20, 2009. Iran, which shares a 900-km (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, is a conduit for smuggling drugs to the West from its insurgency-ridden neighbour. REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY) - GM1E55L1EMR01](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/11/RTXKMPT.jpg/RTXKMPT.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=3j8zuI2L)
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Alireza Noori