Signing of Iran-Russia Agreement; Putin Discusses 'Settlement' Issues Regarding Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

Following the signing of the so-called 'Comprehensive Strategic Agreement' between Iran and Russia, Vladimir Putin stated that the development of the Bushehr nuclear power plant by Russia has been delayed due to settlement issues from Iran. The Islamic Republic's government news agency announced on Friday, January 28, that the 'Comprehensive Strategic Agreement' has been signed by the presidents of the two countries. Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow after a trip to Tajikistan to sign this agreement with Vladimir Putin; shortly after his arrival, media from both sides reported on the signing. After the signing of the contract, the presidents of the two countries held a press conference to explain the results of their meeting and the signed agreement. In this meeting, Vladimir Putin referred to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran and stated that Moscow is considering the construction of new units for this plant in Iran. According to the Interfax news agency, he explained: 'We have a large project in the nuclear energy industry. One of the units (at the Bushehr plant) is operating successfully, and we are now negotiating the construction of other units.' The Russian president added: 'We have delayed everything a bit, which is related to settlements and payments. This is not a secret. Nevertheless, work is progressing and moving forward.' Meanwhile, the Bushehr plant, Iran's only nuclear power plant, contributes only one percent to the country's electricity production and has produced a total of 70 terawatt-hours of electricity over the past decade, which is worth less than $5 billion in regional markets. Masoud Pezeshkian also stated in a press conference after the signing of this contract that it will open 'a new chapter in relations between Iran and Russia' in all areas, especially in economic cooperation. He previously assessed the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia as 'vital, sensitive, and strategic' and stated that Tehran intends to expand its relations with Moscow in economic, commercial, cultural, and security fields. He also emphasized that 'the obstacles to realizing previous agreements have been removed' and referred to the issue of nuclear power plants in Iran. Mr. Pezeshkian added: 'The executive phases of the nuclear power plant are progressing well. Agreements in this regard will be signed today.' According to Iranian media, Vladimir Putin also stated in this meeting that cooperation between the two countries will expand in the fields of energy, transportation, nuclear, tourism, humanitarian cooperation, and culture. He also mentioned: 'We are aware that what is done in bilateral issues between Russia and Iran is under the considerations and control of' Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. The Kremlin had announced four days earlier that Moscow and Tehran would sign the 'Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation' agreement during the official visit of the Iranian president to Russia. Shortly after, Ismail Baqai, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, confirmed in a press conference that the process of preparing this treaty took about two and a half years, and this agreement is an 'updated text' of a treaty that was concluded between the two countries in the late 1990s. The 20-year cooperation document between the two countries ended in 2020, and during the past five years, while this document was automatically extended, officials of the Islamic Republic had repeatedly called for the signing of a new document. Reuters reported that Russia and Iran have agreed to expand their cooperation in security and defense. The agreement states that the two countries will consult and cooperate to counter military and security threats and will participate in joint military exercises, both on their territories and beyond. The Russian state news agency TASS reported that under this treaty, both parties agreed not to provide any assistance to an aggressor in the event of an attack on either country. According to this report, one of the clauses of this agreement states: 'If either party to the treaty is attacked, the other party will not provide any military or non-military assistance that would lead to the continuation of the aggression and will seek to resolve the arising disputes based on the UN Charter and other international laws.' Additionally, under this agreement, Russia and Iran have committed to preventing the use of their territories to support separatist movements or any actions that threaten stability and territorial integrity, as well as hostile actions against each other. Earlier, Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Moscow, stated that the nature of the new document now signed by both parties is different from Russia's security treaties with North Korea and Belarus. The treaty with North Korea, signed in November, and the treaty with Belarus, signed in October, both included a clause on 'mutual defense.' Masoud Pezeshkian's trip to Russia comes a month after the rebels' attack in Syria and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of that country, a government that was fully supported by Tehran. This trip also occurs just a few days before Donald Trump's presidency in the United States, who is seeking a swift end to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Both Iran and Russia are under severe Western sanctions and have expanded their military cooperation since the onset of Moscow's military attack on Ukraine, a situation that has led to new sanctions against Tehran.