Iran supplied Russia with billions of dollars worth of weapons

On January 12, Bloomberg news agency reported, based on Western experts, that Iran supplied Russia with rockets and other military equipment worth nearly 3 billion dollars. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

According to the information, these agreements were made since October 2021, that is, before Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine began. Experts estimate that the total value of the contracts amounted to 2.7 billion dollars.

Sources revealed that under these contracts, Russia purchased hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles of the Fath-360 type, approximately 500 other short-range missiles, as well as about 200 surface-to-air missiles for air defense systems. Military cooperation between Russia and Iran intensified in February 2022, after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine.

This war led to comprehensive sanctions against Russia and became the most serious crisis in relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War. Western experts emphasize that it was precisely Iran's military products that further strengthened the ties between the two countries.

Additionally, Iran supplied Russia with millions of cartridges and artillery shells. It is also noted that these figures may not cover all purchases and that new deliveries may take place in the future.

Furthermore, Tehran provided Russia with Shahed-136 unmanned strike vehicles and the technologies to produce them locally. This cooperation was carried out based on a 1.75 billion dollar contract signed at the beginning of 2023.

According to experts' estimates, since 2021 Russia has spent over 4 billion dollars on purchasing Iranian military equipment. The closeness between Moscow and Tehran was formed in the 2010s, during the period when Iran's nuclear program and Western sanctions against it intensified.

In January 2025, the two countries signed an agreement on strategic partnership, although it did not include military obligations. At the same time, sources indicate that Russia did not provide significant assistance to Iran during Israeli and US strikes last year.

Currently, Moscow and Tehran are discussing plans to expand financial cooperation aimed at developing a trade route to India through Iran and reducing the impact of sanctions. According to Bloomberg inquiries, the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not provided official comments on this matter.