MOSCOW - Russia and Iran will soon sign a "comprehensive" treaty that will include closer defence ties, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
Military co-operation between the two countries is a source of deep concern to the West, as Russia wages war in Ukraine and Iran and Israel exchange missile and air strikes in the Middle East.
"The treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared will become a serious factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations," Mr Lavrov told state television. He said the agreement was being prepared for signing "in the near future".
Russia has said it expects Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to visit Moscow before the end of the year. "It will confirm the parties' desire for closer co-operation in the field of defence and interaction in the interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels," Mr Lavrov said. He did not specify what form the defence ties would take.
Russia has deepened its ties with both Iran since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Shahed and Mohajer-type drones.
President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a similarly titled "comprehensive" treaty in June, including a mutual defence clause, and the US and Nato say Pyongyang has sent some 10,000 soldiers to Russia for possible deployment in the war. Russia has not denied their presence, and says it will implement the treaty as it sees fit.
In September, Iran's aviation sector was hit with more sanctions after Iran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would be used against Ukraine “within weeks”. Mr Blinken said the weapons were transferred in spite of private and public warnings to Tehran that supplying missiles to Russia would constitute a “dramatic escalation”.
Iran’s transfer of what intelligence sources suggested were 400 short-range missiles, were most likely Fateh 360 weapons, with a range of 120km. Dozens of Russian personnel have been trained on their use in Iran, said Mr Blinken. The Kremlin declined to confirm its receipt of Iranian missiles but acknowledged that its co-operation with Iran included "the most sensitive areas".
France, Germany and the UK said they would restrict flights to and from Iran, with the three European states issuing a joint statement condemning Iran’s move as a “direct threat to European security”.
