Analysts study text of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" agreement signed by russia and Iran - ISW
Russia and Iran have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement, which includes enhanced military cooperation that could help russia in waging a war against Ukraine.
This was recalled by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On January 17, 2025, russian ruler vladimir putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which provides numerous benefits for russia in its war against Ukraine.
"The Agreement covers issues of strengthening defense cooperation, intelligence sharing, the use of nuclear energy and cooperation, transport support and the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as well as a provision that neither side will allow third parties to use its territory to threaten the security of the other side, among other economic and social areas of the partnership," ISW noted.
Of particular interest are the agreements on "military-technical cooperation," which envisage Iran supplying Shahed drones and other military equipment that could be used by russia to continue the war in Ukraine.
Iran, in particular, could help russia scale up production of Shahed drones in russia, which would reduce dependence on imports and ensure a steady flow of necessary equipment for further combat operations.
The bilateral agreement could also lead to the creation of aircraft refueling centers and a russian naval presence in Iran, which would strengthen russia's military presence in the Middle East.
“Russia could use Iranian territory to support some of its operations in North Africa and the Middle East, despite Iran’s less than optimal geographical location compared to Syria, which is close to russian bases in Libya and the Mediterranean. Russia could also use the deal to establish a more permanent military presence in Iran in the long term. However, Iran may be reluctant to take such steps due to the possibility of further Western sanctions,” ISW said.
The deal is also intended to help russia evade sanctions and ease economic hardship caused by international restrictions. Russia hopes that strengthening economic and transport ties with Iran will allow it to circumvent Western sanctions and reduce domestic economic pressure.
Key takeaways:
- Russian president vladimir putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between russia and Iran on January 17.
- The agreement does not include a mutual defense clause, which may indicate that russia lacks the military capacity to support significant operations outside Ukraine. At the same time, russia is likely to prefer to attract human resources through mutual defense agreements with countries such as North Korea.
- Russian forces captured Vremivka on January 17, attempting to surround Velyka Novosilka and force Ukrainian forces to abandon the town.
- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke by phone with vladimir putin on the same day, which may indicate the Kremlin’s growing concern about Armenia’s deepening ties with the West.
- Recently declassified US documents highlight the key role of US financial and technical assistance in strengthening Ukraine’s capacity to produce drones. The documents also demonstrate how U.S. national security benefits from integrating the experience gained in Ukraine into the U.S. defense industry.
- Russian troops continue to advance in the Kursk Oblast, including in the Kharkiv, Kupyansk, Borovsk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove Axes.
- On January 17, vladimir putin signed a decree authorizing the call-up of reservists ("mobilization resource" or "reserve") for training in 2025.