There is a common misperception that Russian-Iranian relations thrive on the anti-West sentiments of both countries’ political elites. Iranian and Russian politicians help spread this idea, feeding the idea that the shared vision of a common enemy can bring the two countries together. Yet they overlook that the nature of their hatred toward the United States differs, and this difference matters.

While Russia’s negative attitude is determined by what is frequently referred to as the Cold War 2.0, the source of Iran’s anti-West feelings lies elsewhere. Indeed, the past few months have been marked in Iran by a new wave of anti-West rhetoric. Politicians at all levels have persistently warned the population that the United States should still not be trusted and that the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), could be just another Western trick. They insist that Iran will abandon the deal if the United States proves reluctant to implement its part of the bargain or deviates from the initial agreement. US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign statement that canceling the agreement will be one of the first steps he takes has further fueled Iran’s anti-US sentiment since his victory.

This anti-US “hysteria” has obviously been blessed at the very top of the Iranian leadership. Hard-liners closely associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the main source of anti-American statements. Even President Hassan Rouhani and Reformists have joined the chorus, although they are considered to be major promoters of a rapprochement with the West. This month, Rouhani publicly referred to the United States as an “enemy state” in an address to a group of students.

Such critical statements by Iranian politicians should, by all accounts, be welcomed by Moscow, whose worst nightmare includes Iran gradually re-establishing relations with the United States and the European Union. Yet Tehran’s current anti-West rhetoric does not guarantee that Iranian authorities will give up trying to find a common language with the West. Moscow should also not expect the anti-West feelings of the Iranian elite to have the side effect of boosting bilateral relations with Russia.