Source: latimes
Syed Shahnawaz Mohsin
Political and International Affairs Analyst
Two of the world's most heavily sanctioned nations, Russia and Iran, have signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement, deepening their partnership. The pact has been in the works for years and builds on a 2001 agreement between Russia and Iran that has been periodically renewed. The treaty is expected to remain in effect for 20 years. The treaty has the potential to change the political dynamics in the Middle East and create potentially significant risks for Israel and the US if either decides to launch a military attack on Iran. The treaty's signing comes just days before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, known for his hardline stance on Iran.
The pact outlines a plan to expand cooperation in politics, security, trade, transport, and energy. In response to Western sanctions, both countries have ramped up trade activities. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Tehran has become a crucial strategic partner for Moscow. The treaty between Iran and Russia is a strategic response to Western Middle East and Central Asia interests. It establishes a framework for collaboration in economic, military, and technological areas, potentially reshaping regional and global power dynamics.
The treaty has 47 articles. The third article stipulates that if one of the parties is subjected to aggression, the other should not assist the aggressor. Russia and Iran also agreed on cooperation between intelligence agencies to strengthen national security and counter shared threats. The treaty also includes consultation and cooperation in countering common military threats and threats to bilateral and regional security. Although the treaty seems to be a military partnership between Iran and Russia, some nuances must be considered.
Russia has a similar deal with North Korea. Russia has a significant military alliance with North Korea, characterized by unconditional mutual support, contrasting with its treaty with Iran. The Iran-Russia pact includes an obligation to refrain from supporting an aggressor. It establishes a framework for significant military cooperation — a development that will be a game changer for Iran and, by extension, Eurasia. This highlights differing perspectives on global issues between the two nations. Additionally, both countries are likely to collaborate to circumvent sanctions and weapons production. Russia is set to enhance Iran's air defense capabilities by potentially integrating Iran's early warning radar systems into its network. This integration would provide Moscow with improved situational awareness regarding threats approaching its southeastern borders.
The collaboration will exemplify a mutually beneficial collaboration between these two civilizational states. There are also ongoing discussions about Russia supplying Iran with advanced long-range fighter aircraft, including the joint production of the SU-35 Super Flanker, alongside air defense interceptors specified in S400. In the long term, these advancements are likely to provide Iran with a more robust deterrent against potential military actions from NATO, the United States, or Israel. It would increase the perceived costs of aggression significantly for any would-be attacker, thereby diminishing the rationale for Iran to pursue nuclear armament as a means of deterrence.
Key aspects of the treaty include control over important trade routes, financial independence, and commitments against sanctions. Iran offers Eurasia's shortest international transport corridors, linking Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It is the continent's natural bridge and crossroads for trade, energy, and air routes. The joint management of the Caspian Sea reinforces the partnership's influence over a crucial maritime corridor that connects Russia and Iran. This control enhances both nations' leverage over trade and energy transit routes between Central Asia and Europe, ensuring these flows align with their interests.
Iran's strategic geographic position, bordered by seven nations and situated along the vital Strait of Hormuz and Caspian Sea, connects it directly to Turkey, Pakistan, and Central Asia while serving as a critical corridor to China via Afghanistan. Its land and maritime routes extend to the Arabian Peninsula, Mediterranean, Africa, and Russia. Western powers marginalized Iran's transport hub potential for decades through sanctions and trade re-routing, favoring Gulf states like Qatar and the UAE to dominate air and sea logistics, increasing global trade inefficiencies. However, a significant shift is underway as China, Russia, and India — three of the top five global economies — reintegrate Iran into Eurasian trade networks. The newly formalized Iran-Russia strategic partnership marks a transformative moment for West Asia and the broader continent, signaling a recalibration of global trade dynamics and transport infrastructure.
The treaty is not a military alliance but provides Moscow with strategic flexibility, allowing it to maintain its stance of non-involvement in the broader Israeli-Arab and US-Israel-Iran (or NATO-Israel-Iran) conflicts. Despite claims that the agreement targets no specific nation, countering American imperialism is a clear objective. This is reflected in the joint commitment to resist unlawful extraterritorial sanctions, particularly secondary sanctions imposed by the US, and to support each other in international forums. The treaty includes a clause ensuring neither nation will adhere to sanctions imposed by third countries. Russia's veto power in the UNSC effectively guarantees that new international sanctions against Iran will be blocked, offering Tehran crucial protection against future economic isolation.
One of the most significant provisions of the treaty is the establishment of a payment system that operates independently of third-party countries. Circumventing Western-dominated financial networks such as SWIFT, Russia, and Iran are paving the way for economic sovereignty. If successful, this innovation may inspire other nations to seek alternatives to the US-led global financial system, expediting de-dollarization.
The Russia-Iran strategic partnership marks a pivotal geopolitical shift, countering US ambitions in the Russian Caucasus while obstructing Turkey and Azerbaijan's regional aspirations. For Russia, it consolidates influence across key regions. It preempts Western expansion, securing a significant victory in its broader strategy to undermine US dominance and reshape the global order. For Iran, the agreement strengthens its economy, enhances technological capabilities, and fortifies resistance to Western sanctions. By aligning with Moscow, Tehran gains access to advanced technology, secure trade routes, and a committed partner against extraterritorial pressures.
This alliance also sends a clear message to the Global South: alternatives to Western hegemony are both viable and increasingly attractive. It serves as a model for building independent financial and logistical systems. Russia and Iran form a formidable axis capable of challenging the status quo and advancing a multipolar world order through sustainable Iran cooperation that transcends immediate political or military goals.
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