What’s New?
Russia and Iran plan to formalize relations with the signing of a new strategic partnership treaty in the days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The news was broken by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, who told reporters on Monday that he hoped the leaders of the two nations would sign the agreement “at the end of January,” Russian state-owned outlet Sputnik reported.
Newsweek has contacted the foreign affairs ministries of Iran and Russia for comment.
Why It Matters
The new treaty, potentially occurring just days prior to Trump’s inauguration on January 20, signals an attempt by the two nations to combine their respective powers in the face of growing isolation on the world stage.
Russia and Iran are members of what analysts at the Center for New American Security have dubbed the Axis of Upheaval, a group of states, which also features China and North Korea, that have increasingly positioned themselves as opponents of Western powers.
The two nations have been heavily sanctioned and censured by the U.S. and its allies over the past few years, the former as a result of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the latter because of concerns over alleged, covert attempts to develop nuclear weapons as well as the actions of its military proxies in the Middle East.
Alexander Scherbak/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
A treaty with Iran has been in the works for years, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, which in early 2022 claimed that a “major new interstate agreement” was being finalized, without providing specifics.
In late October, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the 16th annual BRICS summit in Kazan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the agreement would be ready for the two leaders’ signatures in the near future, and that this will “will formalize the parties’ commitment to close defense cooperation and interaction in the interests of regional and global peace and security.”
“An agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran will be an important factor of strengthening Russia-Iran relations,” Lavrov said at the International Conference on Eurasian Security.
The new bilateral treaty will replace the 20-year strategic agreement signed between the countries in 2001 and extended in 2020 and is said to contain promises of cooperation in areas such as energy, manufacturing, transportation and agriculture, according to state-linked Iranian outlet Mehr News Agency.
In mid-2023, Russian outlet News.ru noted that difficulties had arisen in constructing the new treaty as a result of Russia’s alleged support of the United Arab Emirates’ claims to islands in the Strait of Hormuz that Iran considers part of its territory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the parties were still working on the “speedy completion” of the document.
Russia and Iran have in the past collaborated in these economic areas while also working to bypass their respective sanctions. In October, Pezeshkian described the relationship between the two nations as “strategic and sincere,” and said that economic and cultural cooperation was “getting stronger day by day.”
In September, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Iran of supplying Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine, though Tehran has denied reports claiming it was doing so.
What People Are Saying
Mohammed Soliman, director of Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program, Middle East Institute, in comments to Breaking Defense in July: “A comprehensive agreement might formalize closer political ties, potentially strengthening their shared opposition to the West, particularly in light of the Ukraine conflict and sanctions. While not explicitly mentioned, the agreement could lead to further collaboration on military technology or intelligence sharing.”
What Happens Next?
A Russian delegation led by deputy prime ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelev arrived in Tehran on Monday, according to Iranian media reports, where they are set meet with Pezeshkian. The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement will be discussed during the meetings, according to Iran International.
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