HomeBlogBlossoming romance between Moscow and Tehran puts Israel, US on edge
Blossoming romance between Moscow and Tehran puts Israel, US on edge
As Donald Trump prepares for his inauguration, Russia and Iran are finalizing a strategic partnership agreement that will strengthen ties in defense and nuclear technology; Israeli officials fear the deal could significantly accelerate Iran’s progress toward nuclear weapons capability
Just before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his return to the White House on January 20, Russia and Iran are reportedly planning to publicly sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The concern in Israel is that this agreement could lead to the transfer of technology that would assist Iran in developing nuclear weapons.
According to reports in Russian media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to make an official visit to Moscow on January 17, during which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign the agreement, marking a crescendo in the growing closeness between Tehran and Moscow. All this, of course, unfolds against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of the Russia-North Korea-Iran axis, supported by solid Chinese backing.
Top Videos
3
On Thursday, the Iranian Embassy in Moscow confirmed the expected visit of the Iranian president to the Russian capital. In an interview on Sunday with the state news agency Russia Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the anticipated agreement. “The agreement is intended to legally formalize the unprecedented progress in bilateral relations achieved in recent years and to document their transition to the level of a strategic partnership,” he said.
“Naturally, such a comprehensive document also has an international component,” according to Lavrov. Among other things, it pays special attention to strengthening cooperation for peace and security on regional and global levels and formalizes Moscow and Tehran’s desire for closer collaboration in security, defense, counterterrorism and combating extremism, as well as against other common challenges and threats.” Lavrov added that the signing of the agreement “will open additional opportunities for further expanding the Russian-Iranian partnership in various fields.”
An Iranian diplomatic source confirmed to the Russian newspaper Izvestia that the agreement would be signed soon. “This is a central event in our bilateral relations,” he added. “We have been working on the agreement for several years. The signing is planned for mid-January. We need this agreement, which will outline the basic principles on which the interaction between our countries is based.”
Russian missile defense system, to be sold to Tehran?
(Photo: AFP)
The strategic partnership agreement will have many aspects, but naturally many are focusing on its security dimension, which illustrates the tightening cooperation between the countries against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Iran is already supplying Russia with short-range ballistic missiles, which Russia uses in its war in Ukraine, and has significantly helped with drones, including assistance in establishing a Russian factory to produce a local version of Iran’s Shahed drone.
