The threats posed by the military and intelligence cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and the Russian Federation are increasing every day. More than ever, Israel and the European Union (EU) are exposed to those threats.
An important arena for such cooperation is Ukraine. The weapons, especially the supply of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) by the IRI to Russia, have enabled the Putin regime to maintain its war against Ukraine. The IRI is also reported to have supplied Russia with 400 surface-to-surface missiles with a range of up to 700km (435 miles). Thus, Iran’s UAVs have played a crucial role in Russia’s military campaign.
Putin’s war against Ukraine has brought conflict and destruction to the heartland of the EU. It has forced millions of Ukrainians into the EU as refugees, thus creating a massive economic burden on the host countries. Putin has also threatened other European countries militarily, including with nuclear weapons.
Israel has paid a very heavy price for the burgeoning Russia – IRI cooperation. For years, the IRI has supported anti-Israel groups such as Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas, both militarily and financially. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) trained some of the Hamas terrorists that took part in the October 7 invasion in training camps in Iran.
Russia has supplied sophisticated weapons to the IRI. In November 2023, the IRI completed arrangements for the delivery of sophisticated Russian made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and military helicopters. According to the Washington Post, soon after Hamas’s October 7 attack Russia “stepped up its support for Hamas diplomatically and in the propaganda war”.
Alongside the IRI, it is also quite possible that Russia provided intelligence support to Hamas prior to its October 7 invasion of Israel. For example, Hamas terrorists attacked a classified IDF intelligence base near the border. Upon entering the base, the attackers knew the exact identification and location of the computers which they wanted to steal from the base’s server room. Some in the Israeli army believe that this was made possible by intelligence supplied by Iran. However, it is also quite possible that Russian intelligence helped Hamas too, since Russia’s intelligence gathering resources and operations are believed to be more extensive and powerful than that of Iran.
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Dr. Meir Javedanfar
Dr. Meir Javedanfar is an Israeli-Iranian Middle East analyst, lecturer and commentator specializing in Iranian affairs. He is the co-author of "The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran", which has been published in four languages, and frequently provides expert commentary on Middle Eastern politics, particularly focusing on Iran's political dynamics, nuclear program, and regional influence. Dr. Javedanfar holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Tel Aviv and is a senior lecturer at Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel.