Russia: We Will Sign a Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement with Iran in the Very Near Future

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia stated that Moscow expects to sign a new agreement regarding comprehensive cooperation with Iran in the very near future. Andrei Rudenko announced this news on Tuesday, July 5, in an interview with the state news agency RIA Novosti. He stated, "We expect this agreement to be signed in the very near future, as work on the text is nearly complete and all necessary phrases have been found." In mid-June, following the announcement of a temporary suspension of the 'comprehensive cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia' and its denial by the Iranian ambassador in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, announced on June 22 that the signing of this agreement would occur after 'administrative issues' were resolved by Tehran. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that Mohammad Mokhber, the acting president of Iran, had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, regarding this 'comprehensive agreement.' Russia and Iran signed a 20-year strategic agreement in 2001, which, according to the state news agency TASS, was automatically extended for five years in 2020. Both parties also agreed in 2020 to work on a new treaty to replace the old document. In September 2022, during a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi, both sides announced the signing of a significant new agreement between Moscow and Tehran. Despite these announcements, both parties have not been transparent about the details of this agreement. According to the text of this agreement published on the Kremlin's website, the 2001 treaty called for cooperation in security, energy projects, the 'peaceful' use of nuclear energy, and the construction of nuclear power plants. In recent years, especially after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia and Iran have expanded their relations, with the Islamic Republic providing numerous suicide drones to Russia, which has led to increased sanctions against Tehran.