US says Russia and Iran’s relationship has warmed to full fledged defence partnership

The US has said that Russia and Iran’s relationship has warmed to a full-fledged defence partnership. Russia is giving an unprecedented level of military support, said US national security council spokesman John Kirby.

The US has seen reports that the two countries are considering joint production of lethal drones, he added. After initially denying sending any drones to Russia, the Middle Eastern country later admitted it had supplied some before the invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development, training,” he said, adding that the US fears that Russia intended to “provide Iran with advanced military components” including helicopters and air defence systems.

“Russia has been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat and critical services. People in Ukraine today are actually dying as a result of Iran’s actions,” Kirby added.