Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on July 19, 2022
A top British military adviser says Tehran is making "bad choices" through military cooperation with Moscow, warning the allegiance could lead to instability in the Middle East.
Air Marshal Martin Sampson, who is a veteran of 500 air combat sorties across the Middle East, said the two allies posed threats globally, including the provision of Iranian drones to Moscow, used in the invasion of Ukraine.
“Our friends in the region should be a little bit nervous about what comes back [to Tehran] in return for that support [for Russia],” he said, in an article in The National.
“We need to be aware of anything that flows in the opposite direction [from Russia], because Iran's practical behaviors have been destabilizing in the region. Everybody should be concerned about the transfer of technology,” he stated.
He stated that a country which aligns with an invading power such as Russia, is making a “bad choice”, the two nations becoming increasingly close since suffering crippling global sanctions, Iran for its nuclear program and Russia, for the war in Ukraine.
Britain's top military adviser stated that it is highly likely that Iran is receiving missile equipment and advanced drone technology from Russia in lieu of finances, given its current sanctioned status. It is also likely that Iran is seeking Russian support for its nuclear program, after the JCPOA talks broke down last year.
Since the uprising in Iran, Russia has provided the regime with communication-surveillance capabilities as well as eavesdropping devices, advanced photography devices and lie detectors, as it supports the brutal crackdown on protesters and civilians.