NewNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
While the United States is pressing for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Russia is signaling a parallel strategy – deepening cooperation with US adversaries and portraying itself as resistant to Western pressure.
That posture was on display this week when Iran announced that three of its domestically designed satellites were launched into orbit on a Russian rocket.
The launch was broadcast by Iran’s Arabic-language state television channel Al-Alam News Network, with footage broadcast of the satellites flying over Russian territory. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that the satellites were lifted into orbit on a Russian rocket launched from eastern Russia, marking the seventh time Iran has conducted a satellite launch with Russian assistance.
Iranian President says his country is at ‘all-out war’ with US, Israel and Europe: Report
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian shake hands as they meet in Moscow, Russia, January 17, 2025. (Evgenia Novozenina/Pool via Reuters)
According to Iranian state media cited by Reuters, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said the satellites were “designed and built by Iranian scientists,” adding that cooperation between Tehran and Moscow continues “despite all sanctions and threats.”
Iranian officials claim the satellites are for civilian purposes, including environmental monitoring and agriculture, although Western governments have long warned that Iran’s space program could pursue technologies applicable to ballistic missile development.
The launch underlined a broader strategic relationship between Moscow and Moscow that has expanded significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Iran has supplied Russia with drones and other battlefield military equipment, while Russia has provided diplomatic cover, economic cooperation and advanced technical assistance amid extensive Western sanctions on both countries.
Iran is reportedly developing chemical, biological missile weapons amid growing protests over its declining economy.
A Russian warship and an Iranian military speed boat take part in a joint naval exercise on Tuesday. (AP/Iranian Army)
The increase in Russia-Iran alignment comes as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to rise. After President Donald Trump recently warned that the United States could attack Iran again if it attempted to rebuild its nuclear program, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian issued a sharp response.
According to the Associated Press, Pezeshkian said any US attack would be met with a “harsh and demoralizing” response. Iranian officials described the warning as defensive and argued that it was intended to deter potential US aggression rather than signal an intention to start a conflict. Tehran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is peaceful, a claim the United States and its allies dispute.
Click here to download Fox News App
Russian military Mi-24 helicopters fly over a warship in the Turali Range on the Caspian Sea coast in southern Russia’s Dagestan republic during the “Caucasus-2020” military exercise on September 23, 2020, which involves troops from China, Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar along with former Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
The exchange highlights how Iran and Russia are increasingly positioning themselves as partners to counter US pressure, while Washington attempts to pursue diplomacy on multiple fronts. Russia has portrayed its partnership with Iran and other sanctioned countries as evidence that Western efforts to isolate Moscow have failed, while Iran has used its cooperation with Russia to show technological resilience under sanctions.
