Russia and China Strengthen Military Ties with Iran: Foreign Minister Highlights Strategic Cooperation

Iran’s foreign minister revealed on Saturday that China has been supporting Iran in its conflict with the US and Israel, just days after acknowledging assistance from Russia as well.

“Russia and China are our strategic partners, and we have had close cooperation in the past, which continues today, including military cooperation,” stated Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to MS Now.

Both China and Russia, often seen as adversaries of the United States, have been accused of supplying Iran with intelligence on the positions of US military forces during Operation Epic Fury.

The acknowledgment of China’s role in the conflict came shortly after Araghchi admitted that Russia’s participation was already well-known.

“Military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not new. It’s no secret,” Araghchi explained during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

While Araghchi refrained from providing specifics about the military support Iran receives from China and Russia, he characterized their collaboration as “good cooperation.”

News of Russia’s involvement flies in the face of assurances made by Kremlin officials to US diplomatic leaders.

Ambassador Steve Witkoff told CNBC that Russian leaders had promised President Trump that they were not providing intelligence to Russia during a phone call Monday.

“I can tell you that yesterday, on the call with [President Trump], the Russians said they have not been sharing… so, we can take them at their word, but they did say that,” Witkoff told CNBC.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared his “unwavering support” for Iran and congratulated its new supreme leader Monday.

“I am sure that you will honorably continue your father’s work and unite the Iranian people,” Putin said in a message to newly installed Iranian Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Khamenei was appointed ayatollah by Iran’s assembly of experts Monday after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike.

When asked about Trump’s overnight strikes on military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s crucial oil export site, Aragchi vowed to attack neighboring countries if the Islamic Republic’s energy infrastructure was targeted.

He also accused the United Arab Emirates of allowing the US to launch strikes against Iran from its territory.

The UAE accused Iran of pursuing a “confused policy” that has “lost its compass” in a statement posted by Anwar Gargash, an adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“The UAE has the right to self-defense in the face of this terrorist aggression imposed upon it, yet it continues to prioritize reason and logic, maintaining restraint and seeking an exit for Iran and the region,” the statement said.