Russia and Iran Deepen Ties ‘In All Areas’

Russia and Iran Deepen Ties ‘In All Areas’

NEWSWEEK -Oct20th2025

By Amir Daftari

Russia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with Iran, signaling a major expansion of political, military and energy cooperation amid rising global tensions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Tehran a dynamic partner and said Moscow was ready to deepen collaboration “in all areas,” according to a readout issued on Monday.

Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin and Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The growing Moscow-Tehran partnership underscores the alignment of two nations under Western sanctions, spanning military, energy and political cooperation. Russia has leaned on Iran for military support, including drones used in Ukraine, and also sells arms to Tehran, while its state nuclear firm Rosatom is constructing nuclear plants in the Islamic Republic.

The alliance strengthens Russia’s influence in the Middle East and gives Iran leverage amid international isolation, raising concerns that closer ties could undermine efforts to limit Iran’s nuclear program and destabilize regional power balances.

Iranian officials have praised Moscow’s stance as a shared resistance to Western interference, while the partnership intensifies tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose hard line on Iran and confrontational stance toward Russia are part of the broader geopolitical backdrop.

What To Know

That Russia has deepened its ties with Iran across military, energy and political lines reflects a broader strategy to strengthen influence in the Middle East. Moscow supplies Tehran with military equipment and also receives drones from Iran for use in Ukraine.

Peskov said: “Russia is definitely ready to expand cooperation with Iran in all areas. Iran is our partner, and our relations are developing very dynamically.”

Recently, the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom signed a $25 billion deal to build four nuclear power plants in Iran, which currently has only one operating plant in Bushehr and faces ongoing electricity shortages. Peskov added that European nations were applying “excessive pressure” on Iran in nuclear negotiations, describing the situation as “very complicated.”

The partnership comes amid heightened tensions with the West. Earlier this year, U.S. strikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites, while Israeli operations killed top officials and hit critical infrastructure—all carried out with the stated goal of preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, and Russia condemned the attacks as destabilizing.