Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is visiting Russia, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. During this visit, Russia and Iran signed several agreements to deepen the economic and military relations between the two countries.
Given the sanctions imposed by Western countries on both countries, these agreements are very important and it is believed that this can become a cause of concern for Western powers.
After signing the agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Russia and Iran would strongly face “foreign pressure”.
Masoud Pezeshkian also described this agreement as a new chapter in the strategic cooperation between the two countries and said, “Russia has a special place in Iran’s neighborhood policy.”
What is in the agreement
The two countries have signed a twenty-year “strategic partnership” treaty, which includes areas ranging from defense and technology to energy and trade.
According to Western intelligence agencies, Iran is already providing drones and ballistic missiles to Russia.
According to this agreement, both countries have also agreed that they will not allow their territories to be used for such work that poses any threat to the other side.
Under the agreement, Russia and Iran promised to consult and cooperate to deal with military and security threats, as well as participate in joint military exercises in their respective regions and beyond.
After this agreement, cooperation between the two countries will increase in the energy sector and this can lead to a significant increase in trade between the two countries.
Iranian leaders have described this visit as more than just a government visit and said that it is a strategic turning point.
According to the New York Times, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social media network Telegram, “This treaty is not only a turning point that strengthens our bilateral relations. It is not just a political agreement, it is a road map for the future.”
- Both Russia and Iran agreed to cooperate in mutual security
- Russia and Iran will not help any country that attacks one of them
- Both countries ready for joint military exercises
- Joint training program for officers
- Agreement in trade and economic sector
During a joint press conference with Iranian President Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country is considering the construction of new nuclear power units in Iran.
Russia wants to sell some of its remaining gas to Iran. Since the war with Ukraine began, the European Union has significantly reduced gas imports from Russia, due to which Russia is looking for new customers for it.
If the agreement on the proposed gas pipeline from Russia to Iran, on which both countries are negotiating, is finalized, then this pipeline will be laid through Azerbaijan.
This information was given by Interfax news agency on Friday quoting Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsiviliev.
Putin said that Russia can supply 55 billion cubic meters of gas to Iran every year.
According to the English newspaper New York Times, the latest agreement between the two countries is more focused on economic issues than military issues, but it will bring the two countries closer to each other, which have a common desire to challenge the West.
Multi-polar world
Pezeshkian, along with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation, arrived in Moscow on Friday, where he was welcomed by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsiviliev at the airport.
This visit of Iranian President Pezeshkian has come at a time when Iran’s position in the Middle East region is believed to have weakened after the fall of the Assad government in Syria.
During the meeting with the Russian President, Masoud Pezeshkian also gave a message from Iran’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said that Putin has been given a “special greeting” from him.
The spokesman of the Russian Presidential Palace says that according to the agreement document, relations between Iran and Russia will be strengthened in the military, political, commercial, and economic fields.
A statement issued by the Russian President’s Office on Friday said the two countries have agreed to help each other against “security threats”.
Iran and Russia have also agreed that if a third country attacks one of these two countries, the other country will refuse to help the attacker.
According to the news agency Reuters, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described the agreement as a step towards building a ‘multipolar world’.
He said, “The agreements we have made today encourage the creation of a multipolar world.”
However, Iranian Ambassador Kazim Jalali told Iranian news agency IRNA, “The independence and security of our country, as well as self-reliance, are very important and we have no interest in joining any bloc.”
Since starting with Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has developed close ties with Belarus, Iran, China, and North Korea.
The New York Times newspaper has also spoken to experts on this issue. According to Russian analyst of Middle East affairs Ruslan Suleimanov, this will not be a new step for both countries. This new agreement will only establish the current relations between Russia and Iran in written form.
Ruslan Suleimanov says that Russia is dependent on arms supplies from Iran, while economically it is much more dependent on the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement between the two countries states that Russia and Iran “reject unipolarity and hegemony in global affairs.”
Earlier in June last year, Russia signed a partnership agreement with North Korea and in December signed a security agreement with Belarus. The agreement with Belarus formalized the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons there.
Russia also leads the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which includes many countries of the old Soviet Union, including Belarus and Armenia in the Caucasus and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in Central Asia.
This organization formed against NATO is based on the principle that an attack against one member should be seen as an attack against all.
Will the anxiety of Western countries increase?
According to the New York Times, this agreement, reached before the start of Donald Trump’s second term as President, is a step towards improving the global position of Russia, which has conflicted with Western countries for nearly three years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Donald Trump is going to take over as US President on January 20. It is believed that with Trump’s return as US President, America will intensify its efforts to isolate Iran and increase pressure on it.
Western countries have imposed many sanctions on both Iran and Russia.
However, Russia’s latest agreement with Iran does not have any such mutual security agreement as it has done with North Korea.
Western countries claim that North Korean soldiers have been sent by Russia to fight against Ukraine. However, Russia has never accepted or denied this.
According to news agency Reuters, there is no specific mention of arms exchange between the two countries in the agreement between Russia and Iran, which could be a matter of concern for the US and its allies.
