Russia puts finishing touches on new ‘interstate agreement’ with Iran: Kremlin
The Cradle, September 11, 2024 —
The announcement comes on the heels of a new round of western sanctions imposed on Iran over its defense dealings with Moscow
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu revealed on 10 September that the Kremlin is close to completing the required procedures to sign a new bilateral treaty with Iran.
“We are ready to expand cooperation between our security councils. We continue keeping an eye on issues of the practical implementation of top-level agreements,” Shoigu told reporters. “We hope to sign a new framework interstate agreement soon and are finishing domestic procedures necessary to prepare documents for signing by the presidents [of Russia and Iran].”
Shoigu also stressed that the Islamic Republic’s recent accession to the BRICS bloc has provided “additional opportunities to expand cooperation” among its members to form a “common and indivisible architecture of strategic security and a fair polycentric world order.”
The announcement from the Russian official came on the heels of a new round of western sanctions imposed on Iran over its defense dealings with Moscow.
“Today, the United States and our allies are taking concerted action in response to Iran’s reckless decision to proliferate ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war of aggression against Ukraine,” US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Tuesday.
“The Department of State is concurrently designating three entities, including Iran Air, and identifying five vessels as blocked property involved in the proliferation of Iranian weapons systems to Russia,” Adeyemo added.
The UK, France, and Germany joined Washington in issuing new sanctions against Iran’s air transport, including the cancellation of bilateral air service agreements with the Islamic Republic.
“This action of the three European countries is the continuation of the hostile policy of the West and economic terrorism against the people of Iran, which will face the corresponding and proportionate action of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Tuesday, calling Washington’s accusations “completely baseless and false.”
Nevertheless, on 9 September, Ahmed Bakhshaish Ardestani, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, confirmed Iran is sending missiles and drones to Russia as part of their defense agreements.