Over the past few weeks, the leaking of excerpts from an interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif conducted for a government oral history project has sparked heated debates about the decision-making structure and internal politics of the Islamic Republic. The most highlighted parts of the interview were Zarif’s complaints about interference from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in setting Iran’s foreign policy and the alleged growing imbalance between military and diplomatic priorities.

Another crucial—and while also highlighted, far less analyzed—aspect of Zarif’s comments was his blunt criticisms of Russia. What are the implications of these remarks—and will they affect the bilateral relationship going forward?