Russia and Iran are signing a new strategic partnership agreement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries have been brought closer by fraught relationships with the West.

Moscow

Russia and Iran are in the process of finalizing a 20-year strategic partnership agreement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is visiting Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the aim of solidifying cooperation across multiple sectors, including nuclear energy, information technology, regional cooperation, and defense. This agreement is a continuation of previous arrangements between the two nations, including an oil and weapons pact from 2001 which has been renewed twice, as well as a $20 billion oil-for-goods deal in 2014 aimed at bypassing Western sanctions.

With both Russia and Iran facing tense relations with Western countries, their alliance is increasingly significant. Iran had been heavily sanctioned, largely due to its nuclear program, until Russia became more heavily sanctioned following the conflict with Ukraine in 2022. Iranian-made drones, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' ties to Hezbollah, and alliances with Syria's Assad regime have long been contentious points for Western governments. Meanwhile, Russia has recently faced broad sanctions from the United States targeting its oil and gas sectors.

The deal's implications are noteworthy, as it comes ahead of a potential foreign policy shift with President-elect Donald Trump taking office. While the incoming US administration has indicated they will closely observe Iran’s nuclear policy, it remains uncertain if negotiations will take place. Despite any potential diplomatic changes between Trump and Putin, Iran and Russia seem poised to strengthen their strategic alliance, a bond shaped by shared challenges in Western relations.



Russia and Iran sign 20-year strategic partnership

Moscow and Tehran are putting ink to a deal that will shape the contours of their relationship for the next two decades. This treaty, like, by the way, our treaty with North Korea, is not directed against any country. An Iranian official has told media the deal set to be signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Massoud Pazeshkian will cover wide-ranging areas, from nuclear energy to regional cooperation, information technology and defence. And it's been years in the making. An oil and weapons pact signed in 2001, with a 10-year expiration, has been extended twice. The two countries also signed a $20 billion oil-for-goods deal in 2014, a move that would help them sidestep Western sanctions. Tehran had been sanctioned more than any other country, mostly for its nuclear programme, until Russia surpassed it following its 2022 war in Ukraine. And the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian links to Hezbollah and alliances with Syria's Assad regime has long been a major issue for Europe and the US. And Iranian-made Shahid drones have been used widely in the war in Ukraine. Washington has recently hit Moscow with its broadest package of sanctions, targeting its oil and gas sector. This is definitely a shift in policy in the last days of the Biden administration. We've seen and the market has got very used to the Biden White House always prioritising avoiding disruption to oil supplies over the other political goals of putting pressure on Russia, putting pressure on Iran. But this could shift when President-elect Donald Trump enters office. Once President Trump, having become president, formulates his final position on Ukrainian affairs, of course we will study it. Everything that is being said now is being said in preparation for the inauguration. And the US Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio says the new administration will be watching Iran's decision on a nuclear deal, without clearly stating they will pursue negotiations. Iran and Russia have often found common ground in their fraught relationship with the West. But now, as they aim to further cement ties in a deal, even a warmer relationship between Trump and Putin is unlikely to shake this bond. Laura Khan, Al Jazeera.

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