Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Apr 21, 2026

Also published in U.S. Helsinki Commission
About the Authors
Aaron Zelin
Aaron Y. Zelin

Aaron Y. Zelin is the Gloria and Ken Levy Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where his research focuses on Sunni Arab jihadist groups in North Africa and Syria, foreign fighting, and online jihadism.

Articles & Testimony

By taking urgent steps to institutionalize the wartime partnerships formed with (and between) Ukraine, the Gulf states, and Syria, Congress can strike heavy long-term blows against hostile Russian influence in the Middle East.

The following is an excerpt from testimony submitted to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (aka the U.S. Helsinki Commission). To read the full testimony, download the PDF on this page.

The Iran war has allowed Ukraine—once entirely dependent on Western patrons and peripheral to Middle Eastern affairs—to leverage the deepened Russia-Iran partnership and position itself as a security exporter. Kyiv is trading battlefield-proven drone expertise for Gulf oil, Western weapons, Syrian diplomatic footholds, and a growing role in shaping a “post-American” European defense architecture. Instead of hindering Kyiv, Washington should work with it to bolster Ukraine’s regional role—an effort that would also help America secure greater ties with Europe’s largest country. Toward that end, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives should heed the following recommendations...

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