The lifting of sanctions on Iran will have a dual impact on Russia: it will facilitate the development of economic ties between the two countries but at the same time place more pressure on the leadership in Moscow as the return of Iranian crude oil to global markets further batters oil prices. President Vladimir Putin faces a growing need to prove he is more resilient to the price collapse than his predecessors, who were overthrown under similar conditions. Whether that risk can be mitigated by nurturing closer political relations between Moscow and Tehran, as well as their cooperation in military supplies, agriculture and power generation, is still to be seen.
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