Russia has signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” agreement with Iran. It also has a similar agreement with North Korea

In Moscow, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a treaty on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between Russia and Iran. Russia concluded an agreement with the same name with North Korea last year.

This is reported by Russian propaganda state media.

The agreement signed on January 17 takes Russian-Iranian relations to a new level, because before that, Moscow and Tehran were guided by the agreement "On the Fundamentals of Mutual Relations and Principles of Cooperation" from 2001. The new agreement will be valid for 20 years.

Its content is still unknown. Russian and Iranian officials have said it covers various areas: economic, trade, energy, scientific, technological, and military.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the agreement was “a step towards creating a more just and balanced world”. At the same time, Tehran stressed that it was not a military alliance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote that the agreement with Iran, “like the agreement with the DPRK”, “is not directed against any country” and “is aimed at strengthening the capabilities of both Russia and Iran (…) to ensure reliable defense capabilities”.

According to The Times, days before the signing of the treaty, Iran conducted secret diplomatic missions to Russia to expand military cooperation between the countries and obtain assistance in implementing its nuclear program.

Russiaʼs "comprehensive strategic partnership" with North Korea

North Korea and Russia ratified the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in November 2024, which their leaders signed in June. It includes, among other things, a mutual defense pact. The North Korean Foreign Minister, during a visit to Moscow in early November 2024, stated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had ordered assistance to the Russian army since the beginning of the Great War.

Military cooperation with Russia provides Pyongyang with currency, food, and technology, and could also give it leverage over Moscow if the DPRK needs help in the event of an unforeseen situation on the Korean Peninsula. In return, North Korea is already helping Russia in the war with weapons and manpower.

The first soldiers from the DPRK appeared on the front of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war in October 2024. There were approximately 12 000 soldiers, including 500 officers and three generals.

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