Tel Aviv: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in Moscow on January 17, according to Iran International, the website operated from London by the opposition to the regime in Tehran.
“This agreement must be number one in the list of president Trump,” an Israeli source told Raksha Anirveda. “These two countries will form a military force that can challenge the US in many parts of the world,” the source added.
According to the website, at a joint press conference after signing the agreement, the two leaders said Russia and Iran would increase cooperation across a range of areas including politics, security, trade, transport and energy.
Before their meeting, Pezeshkian and his delegation were kept waiting for around an hour as Putin arrived late, a source told Iran International. Iran and Russia have strengthened ties in recent years, pushed together by isolation led by the United States and shared strategic interest in resisting Washington.
“In the strategic pact signed on Friday, January 17 the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and defence, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported. “Russia and Iran have agreed that in the event of an attack on one party, the other party will under no circumstances support the aggressor,” the report mentioned.
Putin told the joint press conference that plans are advancing to export natural gas to Iran as part of the agreement, saying Russian supply to Iran could ultimately reach 55 billion cubic metres per year. But he cited delays to Russia’s efforts to build up nuclear power infrastructure in Iran, adding that Moscow is considering further construction to address the situation. “We have a huge project in the nuclear power industry. One unit is already operating successfully. We are now discussing the possibility of building additional units.”
During the press conference, Pezeshkian expressed support for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through negotiations, saying Western countries must respect the security concerns of other nations. “The agreements and policies signed today emphasise understanding, avoiding unilateralism, and cooperating with regional actors to resolve issues within the region, making the intervention of other countries in the Middle East unnecessary,” he said.
According to Iran International , both nations have faced Western sanctions – Russia due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Iran over its support for armed groups in the Mideast, nuclear program and human rights abuses. “Moscow and Tehran have stepped up military cooperation and Russia has deployed Iranian drones and missiles in Ukraine, despite Tehran’s denials.”
In the Middle East, Iran and Russia have collaborated closely particularly in Syria, where the downfall of their longtime ally Bashar al-Assad was a major setback. According to the website, this evolving geopolitical landscape has further incentivised Tehran and Moscow to solidify their partnership. Analysts say the pact’s timing is a sign Moscow and Tehran are bracing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House this month.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
