EU says watching Iran-Russia deal for potential security fallout
The European Union will assess the potential impact of the recent strategic partnership agreement between Tehran and Moscow on its security, an EU spokesperson told Iran International.
The European Union will assess the potential impact of the recent strategic partnership agreement between Tehran and Moscow on its security, an EU spokesperson told Iran International.
"The recent Russia-Iran partnership agreement signals deepening cooperation across multiple areas, including foreign policy and defense," Anitta Hipper, the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in response to an email inquiry by Iran International.
"We will closely monitor its implications for EU security and the rules-based international order," she added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in Moscow on Friday.
In the strategic pact, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and defense, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported.
"Russia and Iran have agreed that in the event of an attack on one party, the other party will under no circumstances support the aggressor," the report said.
Moscow and Tehran have stepped up military cooperation and Russia has deployed Iranian drones and missiles in Ukraine, despite Tehran's denials.
"Regarding Iran’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, we have consistently called on Tehran to immediately halt all assistance to Russia, which is a clear violation of the UN Charter," the EU spokesperson said.
Hipper added that "Russia’s increasing reliance on Iran to sustain its aggression also further highlights its growing weakness and isolation."
Analysts say the timing of the Iran-Russia strategic partnership agreement is a sign Moscow and Tehran are bracing for Donald Trump's second term in office, which started on January 20, 2025.
Trump's advisors are reportedly crafting a wide-ranging sanctions strategy to facilitate a Russia-Ukraine diplomatic accord in the coming months while at the same time squeezing Iran, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.
