Iran International
Allegations by an Iranian official suggesting Russian complicity with Israel in attacks on Iran have sparked debate over the value of Iran’s long-touted strategic partnership with Russia.
Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran's Expediency Council appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, suggested that Russia may have provided Israel with Iranian air-defense intelligence from prior conflicts, including a limited Israeli strike in November 2024.
According to Sadr, this could have enabled Israel to precisely target Iranian defense sites during a 12-day war in June. He was speaking in an interview published on Sunday by online outlet Seenergy — a lesser-known podcast channel dedicated to foreign policy and energy issues.
“I’m telling you, analytically, that the Russians had given the specifications to Israel,” Sadr said, but suggesting he was also in possession of information on the matter.
Iran's judiciary announced on Wednesday that the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against him for "making false statements," in a possible sign of officialdom's keenness not to upset one of Iran's few strong foreign relationships.
Sadr, a former senior deputy foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, is one of the very few reformists Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ever appointed as a member of the Expediency Council.
He also criticized Russia's sale of the S-400 system to Turkey, a NATO member, and a delay in delivering the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Iran.
According to Sadr, these developments prove that the so-called Iran-Russia 20-year strategic partnership is “hollow and empty.”
He argued that Russia’s willingness to prioritize other international partnerships, including its defense deals with India and cautious approach toward Israel, highlights the limits of Moscow’s commitment to Tehran.
While he stressed that relations with Moscow should not be severed, he warned against placing too much trust in it. Sadr emphasized that Iran must maintain strategic autonomy, diversify its defense and diplomatic relationships, and be wary of over-reliance on a partner whose interests may not align with its own.
Hardliner furor
The controversial remarks were widely covered by domestic media and drew immediate reactions, including a denial by the Foreign Ministry and criticism from the ultra-hardline Kayhan daily and conservative Farhikhtegan.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei emphasized that Sadr’s views were personal opinions and did not necessarily reflect official policy.
Kayhan, funded by the Supreme Leader’s office, dismissed Sadr’s remarks, writing: “If Russia had not called the snapback mechanism illegal, and if it were not confronting the United States in Ukraine, and if it had not defended Iran at the United Nations, and so on, the reformists would not be spouting this nonsense. Many of these reformists oppose any current that stands against America.”
The article was referring to the so-called snapback of international sanctions which European powers are due to trigger soon which could seriously hurt Iran's already ailing economy.
Mashregh News, reportedly linked to the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Organization (SAS), also criticized Sadr, saying he portrayed the situation as a gain for Israel while voicing anti-Russian rhetoric without offering supporting evidence.
“Making such statements—even if they contained a grain of truth, which Sadr’s unsubstantiated approach clearly undermines—serves no purpose other than fueling tensions in international relations,” Mashregh wrote.
Growing scrutiny over Russia’s commitment
While long considered a staunch ally by Iranian hardliners, Russia came under scrutiny from Iranian media figures, former diplomats and politicians who argued that Moscow’s support for Iran during the 12-day war fell short of meaningful military backing.
Earlier in August, hardline Expediency Council member Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi claimed that Russia had knowledge of Israel’s plans to topple the Islamic Republic before Israel’s strikes in June but did not inform Iran, highlighting concerns over Moscow’s commitment.
Such an explicit accusation of Russian cooperation or intelligence-sharing with Israel against Iran, however, had never been publicly raised by any official. This made Sadr’s remarks, as the first public statement of its kind by a leader-appointed member of the Expediency Council, unusually rare and sensitive.
Iranian-designed attack drones have been increasingly deployed by Moscow in Ukraine, but Russian military help has been elusive as Iran has suffered harsh blows from Israel and the United States.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of Russia’s broader foreign policy priorities, including its expanding defense ties with other countries.
The contrast between Russia’s limited support for Iran and its robust defense cooperation with other countries is stark.
Following the 12-day conflict with Israel, Moscow finalized a deal to provide India with 117 Su-35 fighter jets and joint production of the Su-57 stealth aircraft, including full technology transfer—capabilities Tehran has long sought but has yet to secure.
Critics argue that Moscow’s military entanglement in Ukraine coupled with its cautious approach toward Israel, reflects limits to its commitment to Iran—raising questions about how dependable Russia is as a strategic partner.
