The Russian and Iranian flags, with Syria in the middle. Photo: Wikimedia.

With tensions between Moscow and Tehran surfacing, an Iranian diplomat said that Russia has been reaping the fruits of Iran’s sacrifices in the war-torn country, pro-Saudi Al Arabiya reported on Monday.

Javed Gorban Ogli, former director general of Middle Eastern Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said that after four years of effort, Iran has finally been able, with Russian assistance, to secure Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s reign.

However, he cast doubt on Russia’s true intentions towards Assad and Iran, saying that Russian policy is motivated by self-interest and could quickly turn against its Iranian and Syrian allies.