TEHRAN Iran and Belarus solidified their collaboration by signing a defense cooperation agreement on Wednesday, a move both countries referred to as important to countering shared security risks and advancing a multipolar world order.The pact, sealed during Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadehs check out to Minsk where he engaged with Belarusian Defense Minister General Viktor Khrenin, illustrates the growing military partnership in between the 2 nations.During the signing event, Nasirzadeh highlighted the contracts function in enhancing defense and security interactions through practical steps, while Khrenin hailed it as a structure for long-lasting stability in a period of intensifying unilateralism.The deal builds on a 2023 memorandum of understanding and expands collaboration into military technology, counterterrorism, and joint training programs.
Another significant aspect of the discussions was tapping into multilateral places, consisting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), to address what Nasirzadeh described synthetic crises enforced by hegemonic powers.Both ministers criticized Western sanctions and NATO growth, advocating instead for protective diplomacy and local alliances independent of U.S.
or European frameworks.The arrangement also highlights technological exchange, with Irans significant domestic defense manufacturing possibly offering a platform for cooperation.Strategic contextThe accord follows months of prior engagement in between the two countries, consisting of a January 2024 conference in Tehran between Iranian Army Chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi and Belarusian Air Force Commander Major General Andrey Lukyanovich.Regional observers keep in mind the timing lines up with increased U.S.-EU pressure on both nations.Belarus, a close ally of both Russia and China, has actually experienced substantial pressure from Western nations in current yearsintensifying since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian Warwhile Iran has been the target of Western sanctions for lots of decades.Even though the contract avoids overtly intriguing language, its emphasis on multipolarity and resistance to coercion shows Tehran and Minsks shared rhetoric.