Iran seeks closer military ties with Belarus amid Western sanctions
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has said Tehran aims to strengthen military cooperation with Belarus as both nations face severe Western sanctions.
“Iran welcomes the expansion of defense and industrial cooperation with friendly and independent countries, and Belarus holds a special place in this partnership,” Nasirzadeh told Dzmitry Pantus, the chairman of the Belarusian State Authority for Military-Industrial Cooperation, in Tehran on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Iranian media.
Iran and Belarus have both turned to Russia for economic and defense support amid harsh sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe, although advanced air defense systems provided by Moscow were likely destroyed in Israeli attacks earlier this year.
Tehran has supplied Moscow with drones and ammunition for its invasion of Ukraine, while Minsk has hosted Russian troops and allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad for attacks. Both governments view closer coordination with Russia as a counterweight to Western pressure.
Minsk and Moscow have been joined in a supranational Union State since 1999. U.S. sanctions on Belarus include prohibitions on transactions with key government entities such as the Ministry of Finance and the Development Bank of Belarus, as well as restrictions on exports and re-exports.
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