Russia-Iran military and economic cooperation

Russia and Iran have developed a multifaceted partnership focused on military cooperation and the evasion of international sanctions.

Investigations and leaked documents reveal a clandestine supply network where Russia provides Iran with advanced weaponry, including armored vehicles and Mi-28NE attack helicopters. To avoid detection, the parties have used offshore entities and pseudonyms, such as referring to Iran as ‘Foreign Client 364’. This cooperation extends to pilot training via advanced flight simulators and may involve Chinese technology to further bypass global restrictions.

In addition to hardware, the two nations are working to establish alternative financial channels. A leaked 44-page document, titled ‘Cooperation Plan between the Russian Federation and Iran for 2024-2026’, outlines goals to increase bilateral trade in national currencies and integrate Iran’s ‘Shetab’ network with Russia’s ‘Mir’ system to bypass the SWIFT network. The plan also includes energy cooperation through Rosatom at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Intelligence capabilities have also been linked to this alliance, with reports indicating Russia deployed 14 military spy satellites to monitor United States forces in the Middle East. This intelligence has allegedly assisted Iranian forces in conducting precision strikes, including an incident at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia that destroyed an E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft.