“Unlike the agreements with North Korea and Belarus, the agreement between Russia and Iran does not contain a clause on mutual defense, British intelligence draws attention”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“The Russian-Iranian partnership was almost certainly driven by mutual security and economic interests, as the two nations grew closer after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia remains dependent on Iranian military support as the war in Ukraine continues. However, the level of mistrust remains, and the tension in relations between the two countries will most likely prevent the expansion of their cooperation,” the British military believes.
On January 17, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signed a new 20-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The agreement is part of a broader framework of cooperation between the two states in various fields, which is almost certainly a commitment to strengthen bilateral ties. It covers cooperation in defense and security, economy, trade, transport, energy, technology, information and cyber security.
The MoD believes that the agreement is likely to provide a legal basis for further Iranian-Russian cooperation, formalizing existing and future cooperation efforts, however, it is unlikely to significantly enhance the partnership or significantly expand the scope of their current cooperation.
The visit of the President of Iran to Russia took place three days before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who declared his intention to promote the establishment of peace in Ukraine as soon as possible. Trump has also promised to take a tougher stance on Tehran, which is struggling to cope with mounting economic problems and other challenges, including military setbacks and their implications for Iran’s sphere of influence throughout the Middle East.
Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov previously rejected any connection between Pezeshkian’s visit to Russia and Trump’s inauguration.
Recently, as the Associated Press notes, the two states have been deepening cooperation against the background of harsh international sanctions against them. Restrictions on Tehran are in place because of its nuclear and missile programs; Russia is under sanctions from the United States, Great Britain, the European Union and a number of other countries for its aggressive war against Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.