Rocket launcher deal illustrates deepening Russia-Iran relations

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Russia agreed in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers, according to the Financial Times, which cited documents from a major Russian defence manufacturer. The launchers are said to be intended for Russia’s Mi-28 attack helicopters, which Iran already has, but Al Jazeera notes it could not confirm whether the order has been delivered.

The reported deal emerged as senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei visited Moscow and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Kremlin, the discussion included further development of bilateral cooperation and a message from Iran’s supreme leader. Rezaei said the talks covered regional security arrangements and post-war issues, while Iranian officials also said they were discussing expansion of a defence pact signed last year.

The article says the weapons report underscores how military and political ties between Moscow and Tehran have grown since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The two countries remain under heavy Western sanctions and have increasingly deepened cooperation across defence and other areas. Al Jazeera also notes that in January 2025 they signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty covering trade, military cooperation, science, culture and education, although it did not include a mutual defence clause.

The development matters because it suggests the partnership is continuing to expand despite Russia’s broader diplomatic balancing act in the Middle East and its need to manage relations with other countries, including the United States.