NOURNEWS- Iran and Russia as two of the most sanctioned countries – 14,081 sanctions and 4,191 sanctions have been imposed against Russia and Iran separately – are on track to expand their existing cooperative relations to new levels in an attempt to further challenge and rise against Western hegemony and these countries’ unilateralism.
The recent trip of Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran to Moscow and his discussions with his Russian counterpart, made headlines all around the world. Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation praised his country’s relations with Iran and said: “Our relations are developing very well. Please convey my best wishes to leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,” Putin told Raisi, referring to Iran's head of state. “Thanks to his support, we have gained good momentum over the past year,” Putin said.
Furthermore, Putin added that Russian traders’ eye-catching presence in Iran’s trade exhibitions and the 20 percent rise in bilateral trade with an annual turnover of $5 billion in the past year was indicative of the determination of Moscow and Tehran to open a new chapter in bilateral ties. He said joint transportation, road, and railroad projects were progressing well and the two countries’ cooperation in the energy sector was witnessing continuous growth.
The main subject of the two presidents’ discussions was the Israel war against Gaza in the name of defeating Hamas, which has mounted nothing but a bloodbath and genocide against the Palestinians. As of this moment, Israeli aggressions against Gaza have led to the death of 18,205 innocent Palestinians which are mostly women and children.
Before the arrival of the Iranian president in Moscow, the two foreign ministers of Iran and Russia signed the “Declaration of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran” at the end of a forum of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Moscow. The Russian foreign minter said about this declaration: “We have just signed a declaration on ways and means to counteract, mitigate and compensate for the negative consequences of unilateral coercive measures,”
Furthermore, outside the two countries' attempts to rise against Western countries’ unilateralism and one-sided sanctions against Iran and Russia, Tehran and Moscow have expanded their cooperation in fields such as transport, military, economics, education, and so on.
Regarding this matter, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said three months ago that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran advanced to a new level. In a meeting with Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani in Tehran, the Russian Defense minister said: “We are aimed at implementing the entire range of planned activities, despite opposition from the United States and its Western allies. We are pleased to note that the Russian-Iranian dialogue is developing particularly intensively today,” he said.
The Russian minister expressed readiness to continue working with Iran to strengthen security and stability in the Middle East and suggested discussing “several issues of mutual interest.”
Ashtiani, for his part, said defense and military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow “has always been supported by the top leadership” to bolster security and stability in the region. Iran and Russia are working on a long-term military cooperation agreement that will take effect shortly, the Iranian defense minister said. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei believes that long-term cooperation between the two countries “is in the interest of both nations,” he added.
Also, US media Forbes has said that completing the Iran-Russia arms deal in a timely manner could become a win-win for both Moscow and Tehran. Arrangements for Iran’s acquisition of Su-35 multirole fighters, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers for its regular armed forces have been finalized, Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi has recently said. For Tehran, the arrival of sleek, shiny new Su-35s will dispel rising suspicions that Iran was giving Russia more than it was getting in return and also provide its regular armed forces with a much-needed equipment upgrade, it noted.
In the field of economic and political cooperation, both Iran and Russia are official members of the SCO, and in January 2024, Iran will officially become a member of BRICS. Both of these international groups and alliances are on the rise due to the failure of the corrupted West-led dominating world order. On the other hand, Iran and Russia are two of the most important countries in the implementation of the International North-South Corridor (INSTC) which connects India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe via ship, rail, and road.
INSTC’s main objective is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc. and to reduce costs in terms of time and money over the traditional route currently being used. A study conducted by the 'Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) found the route is, “30% cheaper and 40% shorter than the current traditional route”, and accordingly will increase the bilateral trade volumes of the said countries.
In the field of direct economic relations, the second-largest automotive manufacturer in Iran, SAIPA Automotive Group plans to supply its high-quality products to the Russian and Belarusian markets. In line with the policies adopted in the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi regarding the expansion of economic, industrial, and trade relations with neighboring states, SAIPA Automobile Manufacturing Group has strived to develop its presence in Russia and Belarus.
Why these pieces of information and ever-expanding cooperation are important? Iran and Russia, as two of the leaders of the new and on-rise world order, are the two of the most sanctioned countries in the history of mankind. Of course, the countries that have imposed these sanctions are all part of the collective West which takes order from the US as the de facto leader of the current but shattered world order.
Tehran and Moscow have been accused of every cruel subject one can imagine by the Western countries. The fake slogans of Western countries regarding human rights, peace, a free and just world, and so on have always been used as tools to impose their will against the two countries. But on the one hand, the war in Gaza and Israel’s blatant war crimes in this war while ignoring every humane value, international laws and UN resolutions, and Western countries' support of the Zionist regime despite these obvious aggressions have shattered the holy mask worn by Western countries, and public population of the world and majority of countries in Global South no longer buy the West’s lies.
On the other hand, Iran and Russia’s positions regarding this war and their call for a ceasefire to protect civilians and try to help the Gazan population have raised a lot of questions in the minds of the public population of the world regarding Western-made accusations against the two countries.
But, despite the above facts and the request for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza being vetoed by the US in its support of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians, Washington still tries to show itself as the holy country that protects the world against “evil” countries such as Iran and Russia. On 7 December, US National Security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that Washington will continue to hold Tehran and Moscow accountable for their growing military ties.
Referring to Iran’s military assistance to Russia and accusing Iran of helping militant groups in the Middle East, Kirby warned that the burgeoning relationship between Tehran and Moscow “is not only not good for the Ukrainian people, but it’s certainly not good for the region.” If the Iranian regime avails itself of Russian military capabilities, it can become “more lethal and more dangerous to its neighbors,” he added against the backdrop of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Russia.
One must point out that the only dangers in the region and the whole world are the unilateral actions and positions taken on by the Western countries led by the US. The only countries that insist on supporting Israel and its apartheid regime’s crimes against the Palestinian people are Western countries. Once again, the only countries who are in support of the corrupted and racist regime in Kyiv are again, the Western countries.
While Iran and Russia are expanding their relations while aiming for a more prosperous and secure West Asia and the World, the collective West is still using every opportunity possible to accuse Tehran and Moscow of being destructive without accepting any responsibility for the creation of conflicts in Ukraine and the occupied lands.
As the Iranian president has said in his meeting with his Russian counterpart, the ground is prepared” for taking more effective steps to expand cooperation between Iran and Russia in line with the interests of both sides. And despite the unilateral actions taken by the US and its allies against Iran and Russia in an attempt to isolate the two countries, Tehran and Moscow are expanding their relations trying to reach new levels of cooperation in different fields, and they, as two of the leading countries and pillars of the rising new and multilateral world order, will keep on pursuing their goals in face of Western hegemony.
BY: Homayoun Barkhor
NOURNEWS