In a recent release by the “Interfax” news agency, it was revealed that discussions took place on Wednesday between the Russian Deputy Defense Minister and the Commander of the Iranian Ground Forces. The primary focus of their conversation was exploring potential avenues of military cooperation between Russia and Iran.
This news comes on the heels of a disclosure by the Russian state media about the arrival of an Iranian military delegation in Moscow, which took place on Monday.
The relationship between Russia and Iran has been considerably fortified, especially in military spheres and other strategic sectors.
This development can be traced back to roughly 18 months ago when Russia initiated its military offensive against Ukraine. Both countries, grappling with Western economic sanctions, have found common ground, increasing their collaborations in several domains.
Additionally, the West has leveled charges against Iran, accusing it of supplying a significant number of drones to Russia, which are believed to be used in the conflict with Ukraine. Tehran, however, has categorically denied these allegations.
Between 1979 and 2023, Russia and Iran did not carry out joint military missions but they did share military intelligence for operations in the Middle East. Iran, Russia, Syria, and Iraq established a joint intelligence center in Baghdad in 2015 to coordinate their separate operations against the ISIS caliphate that had seized a third of both Iraq and Syria. In Syria, Iran allowed Russian warplanes to take off from the western Hamedan Airbase to strike ISIS targets in 2016.
Between 2010 and 2023, Russia and Iran carried out nine joint military exercises focused largely on terrorism, piracy, and search-and-rescue missions. A six-day drill in 2020, held in southern Russia, included 80,000 troops and observers from at least 12 countries, mostly from Russia. The exercise simulated a terrorist incursion with responses by ground, sea and air forces.
Iran participated mainly in the naval operation. Beginning in 2019, Iran, Russia and China held annual naval drills in either the Indian Ocean or near the Gulf of Oman. Both the Revolutionary Guards and Iran’s conventional military usually participated.
By 2023, Iran-Russia relations had “come a long way,” Nadimi said. Tehran was “very hopeful to establish meaningful military and security relations” with Moscow, he added. “But so far they have not been successful at all.” Bilateral military exercises were “very limited in scope and objectives.”
