Russia-Iran defence ties deepen with reported rocket launcher deal

Russia is reported to have agreed in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers, in a development that points to closer military cooperation between the two countries. The reported deal comes as senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei was in Moscow discussing the expansion of a strategic cooperation treaty. The arrangement has not been independently confirmed as delivered, according to the supplied material.

The launchers are said to be designed to carry Russia's LMUR, also known as Izdeliye 305, a precision-guided missile that entered military service in 2022. The weapon is described as capable of striking moving targets and has been used by Russian forces in Ukraine. The systems are built for Russia's Mi-28 attack helicopters, which Iran already possesses, making the reported transfer operationally relevant if completed.

The details emerged a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met Rezaei at the Kremlin. According to the supplied material, Rezaei delivered a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during the visit, which was aimed at the further development of bilateral cooperation. The Kremlin said the meeting was part of discussions on expanding ties, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had already met Putin in late October.

The reported deal matters because it adds to evidence that Moscow and Tehran have been drawing closer since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both countries are under heavy Western sanctions, and the supplied material says their relationship has deepened further amid the war in the Middle East. Western intelligence officials are said to have warned that the partnership has strengthened, even as Moscow has sought to present itself as less directly involved in supporting Iran.

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The broader context is a strategic partnership that has widened beyond defence. In January 2025, Russia and Iran signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty covering trade, military cooperation, science, culture and education, and it took effect in October of that year. The supplied material says the treaty does not include a mutual defence clause, unlike Russia's pact with North Korea, but it still marks a formal framework for closer cooperation between the two states.

What remains unclear is whether the launcher order has been delivered and whether it has been integrated into Iranian service. The supplied material does not provide details on timing, shipment status or any public confirmation from either government beyond the reported discussions. Further official statements would be needed to establish the scale of the transfer and whether it changes the military balance between Russia, Iran and their regional adversaries.

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