New Strategy Center publishes a new study analyzing how Russia has systematically adopted Iran’s long-standing strategies to evade Western sanctions, starting from the annexation of Crimea but especially following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The study highlights how Moscow has drawn lessons from Tehran’s decades of experience under international pressure, replicating core approaches across multiple domains, including financial systems, energy exports, technology acquisition, and covert trade networks. The similar design and implementation of Western sanctions on both countries has facilitated this process, enabling Russia to quickly adopt proven methods, limit the disruptive impact of restrictions, and preserve critical flows of resources, technology, and revenue. The study also assesses the effectiveness of these evasion techniques in sustaining Russia’s war economy and strategic autonomy, and offers suggestions on how to adapt the structure of sanctions to make them more effective and to prevent further alignment between Russia and Iran.
The author of the study is Giulio Tomio, intern at the New Strategy Center, and the editor is Sergiu Mitrescu, Program Director of New Strategy Center.

The Iranian Manual: How Russia Learned to Evade the West