Vladimir Putin is visiting Iran this week, only his second trip abroad since he invaded Ukraine and a testament to how important this relationship is to Russia.
Already, the National Iranian Oil Co and Russia’s Gazprom reportedly have signed a multi-billion-dollar memorandum of understanding on energy investment, while the Russian President won explicit backing for his invasion of Ukraine by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
It has been recognised on a bipartisan basis in Australia that it is no longer possible to compartmentalise the challenge from Russia and China. The previous and current federal governments committed to sending military aid to Ukraine while warning about the “no limits” partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
This was why Ukraine was an area of focus for the otherwise Pacific-oriented Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in February and why in June NATO for the first time declared China one of its strategic priorities – reflecting the lack of daylight between Russia and China on NATO, AUKUS, Taiwan and almost every other international issue. But this imperial entente has at least one other dangerous member: Iran.
On July 16, CNN reported that a Russian delegation visited Iran at least twice in June and again in July to view a demonstration of Iran’s Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan had told reporters earlier that “the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia up to several hundred UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), including weapons-capable UAVs, on an expedited timeline”.
Read the article by Oved Lobel in The Australian.