British intelligence analyzes agreement between two Axis of evil countries
Photo: Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Getty Images)
This agreement between Iran and Russia is unlikely to mean any noteworthy improvement in the partnership as distrust between the two countries remains, reports the British Ministry of Defense.
Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a new 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement on January 17, 2025.
According to British intelligence, the partnership between Russia and Iran is undoubtedly driven by mutual security and economic interests, as the two countries have been coming closer together since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia remains dependent on Iran's military support as the war in Ukraine continues.
“However, a level of mistrust remains and tensions in the relationship will highly likely present obstacles to the expansion of their cooperation,” the report said.
The agreement is part of a broader framework of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, almost certainly representing a commitment to strengthen bilateral ties. It covers cooperation in defense and security, economy, trade, transportation, energy, technology, information, and cyberspace security.
However, unlike Russia's agreements with the DPRK and Belarus, the Russian-Iranian agreement does not contain a clause on mutual defense.
“The agreement highly likely provides a legal framework for further Iranian-Russian cooperation, formalising existing and future cooperation efforts. However, it is unlikely to represent any significant uplift to the partnership or materially expand the scope of their current cooperation,” the British Ministry of Defense said.
The expression Axis of evil was introduced into the political discourse by US President George W. Bush in his speech on January 29, 2002. This expression describes countries that pose a threat to global security and support terrorism. The Axis of evil initially included three countries: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Today, Russia has firmly taken the place of Iraq.
Read more about the relations between the countries in RBC-Ukraine's article Axis of evil under sanctions: How North Korea and Iran pivot to military rails and can Russia do the same?
