Russia and Iran strengthen ties, but were once historic enemies

Russia and Iran signed this Friday a document that provides for military and economic cooperation between the two countries, already expressed in recent years. But the two countries were not always friends.

The Russian and Iranian presidents signed a new strategic partnership agreement in Moscow today, which provides for the strengthening “military cooperation”, in the first meeting of the two leaders since the fall of the Syrian regime, which was supported by both, the Lusa agency said.

Cooperation extends to a number of different areas, from security services to military exercises, port visits by warships and joint officer training.

“The agreements we reached today are yet another stimulus for the creation of a multipolar world,” said the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

“War is not a good solution to solve problems and we would like talks and peace to be achieved between Russia and Ukraine,” he further stated.

“This treaty creates better conditions for bilateral cooperation in all areas”, Putin also said.

This “strategic partnership”, which states that it will last 20 years and should worry the Westreinforces an alliance already established in recent years.

In fact, in the early days of war in Ukraine, Iran had already sold weapons to Russia, and the two nations quickly became one of an “anti-Western alliance”.

The two powers would have even signed, in 2022, a pact that provided for the purchase of Shahed drones.

But, as , Russia and Iran they were already historical rivals.

The two countries fought wars in the 18th and 19th centurieswith the Russian Empire conquering vast territories in the Caucasus and the Caspian region, former Persian territories.

Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian troops occupied much of northern Iranand only did not go further because they suffered the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which ended the occupation.

Already Second World War, The Soviet Union and Great Britain, from the Allies, invaded Iran, with the aim of monopolizing its oil fields so they could supply Russia.

However, everything changed. Moscow supported Iran when the US unilaterally withdrew from the international agreement that eased sanctions against Iran during President Donald Trump’s first term.

And when the civil war in Syria broke out in 2011, the two countries joined forces to support Bashar Assad’s government.

Now, the days of Assad’s dictatorship are in the past, but the new times that will come for the two eastern powers promise to bring headaches to the West.