Russia agreed in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing documents from a major Russian defence manufacturer. The report emerged a day after President Vladimir Putin met a senior Iranian security official in Moscow; the Kremlin said the official’s visit was aimed at further development of bilateral cooperation.
The launchers are designed to carry Russia’s light multipurpose guided missile, known as the LMUR or Izdeliye 305. The precision weapon can strike moving targets. The launchers are built for Russia’s Mi-28 attack helicopters, which Iran already possesses. Russian forces have widely used the missile in Ukraine since it entered military service in 2022.
Moscow and Tehran have strengthened military ties since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Both countries face heavy Western sanctions, and their comprehensive strategic partnership treaty took effect in October 2025. It covers military cooperation alongside trade, science, culture and education, but does not include a mutual defence clause.
At Thursday’s Kremlin meeting, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, delivered a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The Kremlin said the visit concerned the “further development of bilateral cooperation”. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had also met Putin in late October.
Rezaei said his discussions covered regional security arrangements, the post-war period and Russian support for ending what he called US “aggression” against Iran.
Western intelligence officials warn that the relationship has deepened further amid the US war in the Middle East, Al Jazeera reported. The warning came despite US President Donald Trump’s recent claims that Moscow was doing “very little, if anything” to help Tehran.
Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on Saturday that Tehran had bought Russian Su-35 fighter jets. Iran has supplied Russia with ammunition, artillery shells, firearms, short-range ballistic missiles and protective equipment during the Ukraine war, according to Al Jazeera.
Analysts cited by the Financial Times said Moscow was balancing support for Iran against its relationships with the United States and other Middle Eastern countries.
“Russia still has certain red lines when it comes to its involvement in this war,” said Hanna Notte at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “Which is why the support it has provided to Iran is operationally helpful but is not the game changer in this war.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The reported agreement adds detail to Russia’s military cooperation with Iran, although an agreement and confirmed delivery are different stages.
- The diplomatic contacts show both governments pursuing closer ties during wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, while analysts identify limits to Moscow’s involvement.
Background
Strategic partnerships can support arms transfers and security coordination without obliging either country to enter a war on the other’s behalf. The Russia-Iran treaty covers military cooperation but contains no mutual defence clause, an important distinction when assessing what Moscow’s support means in practice.
Key Perspectives
Mohsen Rezaei: Says the Moscow talks addressed regional security, post-war arrangements and Russian support for ending what he called US aggression against Iran.
Donald Trump: Has characterised Russia’s assistance to Iran as very limited.
Western intelligence officials: Warn that military ties have deepened amid the US war in the Middle East, according to Al Jazeera.
Hanna Notte: Assesses Russian support as operationally helpful to Iran but constrained by Moscow’s red lines and insufficient to change the course of the war.
What to Watch
- Evidence confirming whether the reported launcher order has been delivered.
- Concrete military or security measures emerging from discussions on expanding the strategic partnership.
- Whether further Russian assistance changes assessments of the limits Moscow places on its involvement.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe reported launcher deal points to closer Russia-Iran military ties.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The reported deal illustrates the strengthened military ties between Moscow and Tehran since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
- SupportedThe Financial Times reported the deal citing documents from a major Russian defence manufacturer.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Russia agreed a deal in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing documents from a major Russian defence manufacturer.”
- SupportedAl Jazeera said it could not confirm whether the order had been delivered.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Al Jazeera was not able to confirm if the order has been delivered.”
- SupportedRussia agreed in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Russia agreed a deal in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers”
- SupportedThe Kremlin said the visit was aimed at the “further development of bilateral cooperation”.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “the visit, which was aimed at “further development of bilateral cooperation”, the Kremlin said in a statement released on Friday.”
- SupportedTrump recently claimed Moscow was doing “very little, if anything” to help Iran.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “despite President Donald Trump’s recent claims that Moscow was doing “very little, if anything” to help Iran.”
- SupportedHanna Notte said Russia had “certain red lines” on its involvement in the war and that its support was operationally helpful but not a game changer.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““Russia still has certain red lines when it comes to its involvement in this war,” said Hanna Notte at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “Which is why the support it has provided to Iran is operationally helpful but is not the game changer in this war.””
- SupportedPutin met Mohsen Rezaei in Moscow a day before the deal details emerged.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The details of the deal emerged a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met top Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin.”
- SupportedThe launchers are designed for the LMUR or Izdeliye 305, a precision weapon capable of striking moving targets.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The launchers are designed to carry Russia’s light multipurpose guided missile, known as the LMUR or Izdeliye 305. The precision weapon, capable of striking moving targets”
- SupportedThe launchers are built for Mi-28 attack helicopters, which Iran already possesses.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The weapons are built for Russia’s Mi-28 attack helicopters, which Iran already possesses.”
- SupportedThe comprehensive strategic partnership treaty took effect in October 2025 and does not include a mutual defence clause.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The treaty took effect in October of that year, but unlike Russia’s pact with North Korea, it does not include a mutual defence clause.”
- SupportedOn Saturday, Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Iran had bought Russian Su-35 fighter jets.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “On Saturday, Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Tehran had bought Russian Su-35 fighter jets.”