"The North-South transport corridor is one of them—especially since Russia was cut off from its traditional transit routes after starting the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia, India and Iran signed the agreement for the 7,200-kilometer multi-mode network in 2000, which is also set to go through Azerbaijan. According to the Saudi Arabia-based think tank Gulf Research Center, 75% of the project has been finished."
"Iran has also been crucial to Russia militarily—not least by providing so-called Shahed drones since 2023. The drones have largely reshaped the Ukraine war. Iran was useful for the Russian war effort, even if the production of drones has now largely been indigenized to Russia, which has improved their design."
"The partnership between Russia and Iran, however, is not about ideology—Russian politicians don't particularly like Iran's theocratic system. Instead, it is based on pragmatic interests and mutual strategic needs in a multipolar world order."
Russia's permanent UN representative denounced Israeli and US bombing of Tehran as unprovoked aggression against a sovereign state. However, Russia has not come to Iran's military aid despite being one of Tehran's closest allies. The Russia-Iran partnership centers on critical economic and military cooperation. Russia depends on the North-South transport corridor through Iran and Azerbaijan for trade routes after losing traditional transit access following its Ukraine invasion. Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones since 2023, significantly impacting the Ukraine conflict, though Russia has since indigenized drone production. Russia also shares intelligence with Iran and provides missiles and ammunition. The partnership is pragmatic rather than ideological, driven by mutual strategic interests.
#russia-iran-relations #geopolitical-strategy #ukraine-war #middle-east-conflict #strategic-partnerships
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