Users Discuss Iran-Russia Agreement: A Lever for Putin Against Iran

On Friday, January 18, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, arrived in Moscow and signed a "comprehensive strategic treaty" with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Some social media users have described this treaty as "something akin to the official colonization of Iran by Russia" and "a lever of pressure for Putin to impose his policies against Tehran." The discussion about the new agreement arises as Russia suspended its previous "comprehensive cooperation" agreement with the Islamic Republic, which was proposed in September 2022, this summer due to what Moscow termed as "internal problems" in Iran. Reuters reported that the "comprehensive strategic treaty" includes closer military cooperation, a topic that may heighten concerns among Western countries. According to Reuters, the two parties will strive to expand their relations in all areas where they have "common interests." The two governments will also strengthen their cooperation in security and defense and will take steps towards coordinating their activities at regional and global levels with the aim of long-term, comprehensive, and strategic partnership. The Islamic Republic and Russia have also agreed to cooperate against "common military threats" while Western countries have stated that the war in Ukraine and unrest in the Middle East have endangered the existing order. They have agreed to develop their "military-technical cooperation" and that if one is attacked, the other will not assist the "aggressor." According to this agreement, neither government will allow their territory to be used to support "separatist movements" or actions that threaten the stability and territorial integrity of the other. They will also enhance information sharing and cooperation between their intelligence and security services to counter "common threats." In the energy sector, it is claimed that Russia and the Islamic Republic of Iran will improve cooperation among their energy companies and promote investment in oil and gas field development projects. In the nuclear field, the Islamic Republic and Russia have agreed to work on long-term joint projects, including the construction of nuclear power plants. According to Reuters, the Islamic Republic and Russia have agreed to collaborate to create a "modern payment system" independent of third countries and to strengthen direct cooperation between their banks. Recently, social media users have criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran's dependency on Russia. For instance, Siavash Rezaiyan wrote on the social media platform "X": "One of the most important news these days for Iranians is the twenty-year contract with Russia. I think the provisions of this contract are something like the official colonization of Iran by Russia..." Another user stated that this agreement brings no achievements for the country. Additionally, it has been reported that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered thousands of drones to Moscow, which have been used in attacks on various regions of Ukraine. Ukraine had previously announced that Russia has utilized over 8,000 drones manufactured by the Islamic Republic of Iran in its operations since the beginning of the war. Kyiv first accused the Iranian government of supplying these drones to Russia in the fall two years ago. The Times reported on January 13 that Ali Larijani, an advisor to Ali Khamenei and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been making secret flights to meet with senior Russian officials. In January of this year, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed concern about the expansion of military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia since the onset of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, stating to Bloomberg that this partnership threatens European security and indicates an increase in the destabilizing influence of the Iranian government in the Middle East and the world.