The Israeli Institute for National Security Studies stated that in recent weeks, "official communications between senior Russian and Iranian officials have increased, reflecting Russia's desire to accelerate its rapprochement with Iran, focusing on military and strategic cooperation."

Russia aims to formalize this developing relationship through a new comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, which is likely to be signed after two years of discussions. One sign of this development is the presidential decree issued by the Russian president, which instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to prioritize the officiation of the agreement at the highest level, according to the institute.

The institute suggests that there may be similarities between the Russian-Iranian agreement and the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed between Russia and the DPRK, under which both nations committed to providing military assistance to each other in the event of any aggression.

The INSS also expressed concern over this relationship, noting that "the scope of the strategic partnership between Russia and Iran today is unprecedented and should be of great concern for Israel and Western capitals."

The development and strengthening of security relations between the two countries include the expansion into new scopes, Iran's role as an important arms supplier to Russia, and the strengthening of the strategic north-south transport corridor project, the institute further noted. 

"After nearly two years and eight months of the war in Ukraine, and a year since the start of the war in Gaza, both wars, from Russia's perspective, represent a set of interconnected dynamics in military, economic, and diplomatic fields."

It also pointed out that the war in Ukraine has intensified the confrontation between Russia and the West, pushing Russia to strengthen relations with countries that share its hostility towards the West, particularly Iran and the DPRK, thereby enhancing its relationship with Iran and distancing itself from "Israel".

The INSS stressed that the escalation of the conflict in the region, where "Israel" is increasingly involved in a prolonged war of attrition, aligns with Russia's interest in diverting American and European resources away from the Ukrainian stage.

The Israeli institute warned that "unless this situation changes, Russia is likely to continue supporting Iran and its allies in the region," adding that the level and extent of this support depends directly on the degree of American intervention in the regional war, stating that "the greater the American intervention, the higher the likelihood of increased Russian involvement."

Iran-Russia counter western hegemony

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that an updated partnership agreement between Russia and Iran, emphasizing defense cooperation, is expected to be signed soon, at the second Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. 

"A major factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations will be the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared for signing soon," Lavrov said.

Lavrov underlined that the agreement "will confirm the parties' desire for closer cooperation in the field of defense and interaction in the interests of peace and security at the regional and global level."

The announcement follows an earlier statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 23, where he revealed plans for the imminent signing of the treaty with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Russia, also confirmed that the document would be finalized during an upcoming visit by the Iranian president to Moscow.

In the latest show of cooperation, Iran and Russia integrated both their  banking systems in a new effort to evade sanctions. Iranian bank cards can now be used in Russia, showcasing an Iranian card being used to withdraw cash from an ATM in Russia, as per state television channel IRINN. 

Iran and Russia have both worked to mitigate the impact of sanctions on their economies. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has been hit with increasing sanctions, prompting a closer partnership with Tehran. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Iran of providing Russia with drones and missiles for use in the war. In June, Tehran and Moscow signed a deal aimed at enhancing their cooperation in the banking industry.