Russia and Iran have expanded military cooperation, with a documented exchange that has direct security implications: Iran supplied Russia with Shahed-series drones used in Ukraine. A treaty signed in January 2025 formalized broader ties, but it is not a mutual-defense pact. The documented record is summarized in Globes report on the Jerusalem District Court ruling U.S. State Department religious freedom report Cambridge University Press legal analysis.
Iranian drones in Russia’s war
The U.S. State Department reported that Iran had transferred hundreds of Shahed- and Mohajer-series unmanned aircraft to Russia since at least August 2022. Russia used Iranian-designed drones against targets in Ukraine. The transfer gave Moscow additional attack systems while exposing Iran’s technology to battlefield use and adaptation.
The 2025 strategic partnership treaty
On 17 January 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Its provisions include developing military-technical cooperation, subject to existing agreements and each country’s international obligations. It does not require either state to come to the other’s defense if attacked.
Why Israel watches the partnership
Iran is Israel’s principal regional adversary and supports armed groups across the region. Russian-Iranian cooperation can strengthen Iranian military capabilities and deepen Moscow’s alignment with Tehran. Israel must account for that relationship alongside Russia’s presence in Syria and the historic communication channel with Russian forces there.
The treaty’s language and the confirmed drone transfers matter more than speculation about fighter jet deliveries or future weapons deals. For the wider context, see Russia-Israel relations from Stalin to Putin.