The last 300 years have shaped Russia-Iran relations as a strategic alliance of convenience. Russia’s current aggression in Ukraine subsequently held hostage the Iran Nuclear Deal to secure its own interests. This critical juncture reflects the history of pressure and tension that have shaped the Iranian experience with Russia. Professor Abbas Amanat will join us to provide a historical account of Perso-Russian relations, especially with reference to the Qajar era and up to 1953. 

ABBAS AMANAT is a Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University. He taught at Yale University between 1983 and 2021, and served as the Director of the Program in Iranian Studies at the MacMillan Center. He has written about early modern and modern history of Iran, the Middle East, the Muslim world, and the Persianate world. His book publications include Ahd-e Qajar va Sawda-ye Farang (Qajar Covenant and European Allure) (Mehri Publication, 2021); Iran: A Modern History (Yale University Press, 2017), and Apocalyptic Islam and Iranian Shi’ism (I B Tauris, 2009).