Iran and Russia Solidify Military Alliance, Prompting International Apprehension

An alleged nuclear deal between capitals Tehran and Moscow is in the works as head Russian security agent Sergei Shoigu’s plane touched down in the Middle-Eastern nation earlier this week. 

The makings of this deal stem back all the way to 2022 at the height of the Russo-Ukrainian proxy war. Picture this: Russia was in dire need of Shahed drones, an Iranian-originated weapon known for its long-range stealth and accuracy capabilities. Iran, quietly recovering from foreign sanctions, was flying under the radar, cultivating a brand new assortment of Iranian ordnance. Meetings between foreign leaders from their respective regions were held under the radar, destitute of any media coverage or Western attention. Finally, in the blink of an eye, the unthinkable occurred: an unexpected alliance between two power-hungry nations. 

Iran has been developing its nuclear stockpile over the past three and a half years, according to U.N. watchdogs from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The main catalysts in acquiring such large units of uranium to craft the bombs are gas centrifuges, an Iranian technology that spins the simple molecules of uranium into usable fission power. 

The IAEA has called upon the Middle Eastern country to bring its production to a halt following its public condemnation of Russia’s brutalities toward Ukraine, but alas, no compromise has been made. Despite the countries’ bond taking a giant leap forward through the transaction of these weapons, this alliance has extended farther than a client-to-benefactor relationship. 

The Iran-Russian alliance has taken a defensive approach both politically and militarily. With no backing from the U.N. nor from the West, the two countries are inevitebly relying on each other for support. This notion brings up the dreaded question of whether or not Putin will ever succumb to increasing pressures from the US. If Washington has any hope of bolstering Ukraine’s defensive standing in the war, it is imperative that significant measures are taken to undermine these off-the-grid deals and weaken their power through strategic economic penalties.