Russian military officers have been quietly supporting Iran with weapons and information as the crisis in the Middle East escalates, it has emerged.
A strategic alliance between the two hostile nations, reports the Washington Posthas seen Russia supply a variety of artillery to Iran, including prized anti-aircraft launchers and drones.
The reported deals are evidence of a worrying dynamic between the two nations, which experts say shows Iran is gaining strength and bargaining power as it moves toward war.
“This is no longer a patron-client dynamic, where Russia has all the influence,” said Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasian Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
‘Iranians are reaping benefits from this change. The nature of their relationship has gone beyond simply getting things done. There is transfer of knowledge and intangible gains.’
Russia has reportedly been pushing to sell a variety of weapons and information to Iran as it heads to war, including its prized S-400 anti-aircraft launchers (pictured).
Experts warn that Russia has strengthened its relationship with Iran while using the nation to support its invasion of Ukraine.
Experts warned that the growing relationship between Russia and Iran took a big step forward in 2022, when Iran agreed to help reinforce the invasion of Ukraine.
Under this deal, Iran supplied thousands of drones and missiles to the battlefield, a move the Kremlin has reportedly been keen to reciprocate.
Russia has promised to support Iran with air defense technology and advanced fighter jets, particularly as it faces the possibility of counterattacks by Israel following its halted attack on Tel-Aviv last week.
Intelligence officials and weapons experts told the Washington Post that supplying weapons to Iran makes it a much more formidable military in modern warfare if it has a greater ability to shoot down planes and missiles.
Such capability was demonstrated in full force following Iran’s attacks on Israel, when international allies helped shoot down nearly all of the drones headed toward the nation.
In particular, Iran is said to covet Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft launchers, which military analysts say are capable of detecting and destroying stealth fighter jets operated by Israel and the United States.
Members of the Iranian armed forces march during the annual military parade in Tehran, Iran, on September 22, 2023.
According to the outlet, a Russian arms dealer was caught inviting a delegation of Iranians to visit one of his arms factories, called NPP Start, in March 2023.
The factory was under US sanctions for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it was not known until February whether it would host the Iranian delegation.
That month, a group of hackers shared stolen Iranian emails in which the Russians described the meeting as a showcase of “scientific and technical potential and production capabilities.”
While it is unclear whether weapons were purchased on that trip, analysts have seen it as a clear intention that the relationship between the two nations is already forged as they move deeper into the conflict.
According to the anonymous experts cited, this collaboration will go beyond anti-aircraft launchers and could also include the co-production of military drones within Russia.
It may also include sharing anti-jamming technology and sharing information on the deployment of weapons against forces in Ukraine.
Pictured: A Russian Su-35 fighter jet, among weapons feared to be shared between Russia and Iran.
The emerging dynamic between Russia and Iran may also be strengthening Iran’s air force, which was considered lagging behind other world militaries.
The Iranian air force is primarily composed of American and Soviet aircraft rebuilt before 1979; However, intelligence officials warned that Russia has been “making progress” on a deal to supply Su-35 fighter jets.
The fighter jets would be a significant upgrade to Iran’s fleet, however officials reportedly said there is no evidence they have received them yet, which may be due to a delay in payment.
Russia may also be seeking to support Iranian efforts to increase its supply of spy satellites and help build rockets to send more into space, intelligence officials reportedly said.
The possible increase in Iranian military power comes as the nation continues to move toward war with Israel, including sending hundreds of drones and missiles in retaliation for an Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1.
The attack in Damascus killed two Iranian generals, prompting Iran to send its counterattack directly from its homeland rather than through proxies in a dramatic escalation.
US officials have reportedly stressed the need for restraint by Israel in response, however, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warned on Monday that Iran “will receive a response.”