New Treaty Strengthens Iran-Russia Military Pact
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Russia and Iran Sign Strategic Partnership Treaty
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Above: In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin and Iranian Pres. Masoud Pezeshkian arrive for a documents signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 17, 2025. Image copyright: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Contributor/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin and Iranian Pres. Masoud Pezeshkian signed a treaty at the Kremlin on Friday, creating a framework to expand military, economic, and security cooperation. The framework also pledges to counter common security threats without explicitly forming a mutual defense pact.
The treaty encompasses multiple sectors including defense, counter-terrorism, energy, finance, transport, industry, agriculture, culture, science, and engineering, with both nations seeking to strengthen their position against Western sanctions.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Russia and Iran, not to mention North Korea and China, are forming a dangerous bloc of threats to the Western world by deepening military and economic ties. Not only do their strategic alliances enable aggression in Ukraine and beyond, but their military tech sharing strengthens each state individually. By undermining Western influence, these partnerships could lead to increased control over power in Eurasia, challenging liberal democracy and security.
Establishment-critical narrative
The idea that Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China are a significant threat to the West is overstated. If anyone is planning to initiate conflict with one of these countries, especially Iran, it's the US, with the aim of economically weakening China. With the US readying itself for increased aggression to maintain its global dominance, it makes sense that Russia and its new allies are preparing to defend themselves. If the US continues on this path, it will collapse the global economy.
