MOSCOW and Tehran temporarily suspended a major cooperation agreement as confirmed by Russia’s state-owned news agency.
Russian and Iranian officials decided to put on hold a strategic deal that took years in the making.
Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported that the comprehensive cooperation was suspended due to problems with Iranian partners.
Russian presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said the move was a strategic decision agreed upon by the leaders of both countries and expressed confidence both sides will overcome the current difficulties.
He added that both sides will eventually decide on a new place and time to sign the agreement once it’s finalized.
Iran’s ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali denied that problems from their side were the reason behind the temporary suspension.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the schedule for finalizing the agreement may change and emphasized Russia’s interest in developing ties with Iran.
The large-scale cooperation deal between Russia and Iran was made known to the public in September 2022 when President Vladimir Putin and his then-Iranian late counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed it on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan.
Negotiations for the deal were underway when news of Raisi’s unexpected death and his colleagues took place on the 19th of May as a result of a helicopter crash.
The U.S. has repeatedly warned to impose sanctions against Iran if it sends ballistic missiles to Russia to be used in its war with Ukraine.
Iran denied supplying weapons including ballistic missiles to Russia to fuel the war with Ukraine, but acknowledged the long history of strong defense cooperation between Moscow and Tehran that existed even before the conflict.
The deepening security partnership between Russia and Iran was perceived as a major threat by the U.S. and its allies. Both countries have been subject to western sanctions.
