Moscow, Iran Vow Stronger Ties --- The relationship is evolving toward an ideologically rooted anti-Western alliance

"Russia and Iran's security chiefs pledged Wednesday to deepen the military cooperation between the two countries, further cementing ties that have seen Tehran supply drones to bolster Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

During a meeting in Tehran, Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev and his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani said they would jointly fight what they called Western interference in their countries, and expand economic ties in an effort to evade sanctions.

Mr. Shamkhani and Mr. Patrushev, who also met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, discussed "ways to combat attempts by Western intelligence agencies to interfere in the domestic affairs of the two countries," said a statement in the Russian state news agency TASS.

Iran has accused Western countries, particularly the U.S., of orchestrating a protest movement that for weeks has called for the ouster of the Islamic Republic. The White House in October said Moscow may be advising Tehran on how to suppress the protests, "drawing on Russia's extensive experience in suppressing open demonstrations."

The relationship between Iran and Russia is evolving from a mostly transactional, military partnership to a more ideologically rooted anti-Western alliance, a development experts say is driven by Moscow's international isolation following its invasion of Ukraine and the diplomatic breakdown between Iran and the West as talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled.

"Iran has grown in stature in the eyes of Russians," said Nicole Grajewski, a postdoctoral fellow with expertise in Russian-Iranian relations at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center. "Russia and Iran have similar aspirational world views. They want a transition of power away from the West."

In Tehran, Mr. Patrushev repeated a common refrain from Moscow that the days of U.S. dominance are drawing to a close. "The world is going through a turning point," he said, according to Russian state daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta. "Russia and Iran today are at the forefront of the struggle for the establishment of a multipolar world order."

Mr. Patrushev's comments echoed long-held views by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who last week said the world is entering a new order, in which Asia would rise and the U.S. would decline under domestic problems and failure in foreign wars.

Iran and Syria forged a military cooperation in Syria where Tehran supported President Bashar al-Assad from the early days of the war. Moscow joined the fray in 2015 and helped turn the war in Mr. Assad's favor.

As it did in the Middle East to support allies, Iran is deploying home-grown weapons and several Revolutionary Guard advisers to aid Russia in Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Russia has launched more than 300 Iranian drones targeting military units, power plants and civilian buildings in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say. The U.S. says Tehran has deployed personnel to Crimea to train Russian pilots to use Iranian-made drones.

Iran acknowledged publicly Saturday for the first time that it has supplied drones to Russia, but said the transfer took place before Moscow started its military operation in Ukraine. U.S. officials dispute the claim. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the army used only domestically produced equipment. The European Union last month agreed to impose sanctions on three top Iranian military officials and an Iranian drone maker." [1]

1. World News: Moscow, Iran Vow Stronger Ties --- The relationship is evolving toward an ideologically rooted anti-Western alliance
Sune Engel Rasmussen. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 10 Nov 2022: A.9.