Russia, Iran consider many countries` policy in South Caucasus  harmful - expert 

ArmInfo. Russia and Iran a priori consider the policy of many countries in the South Caucasus, which seek to establish strategic partnership relations with the United States or begin the process of rapprochement with the European  Union, as Armenia is doing today, for example, to be harmful,  political scientist and expert on Central Asia Arkady Dubnov said as  he commented on the signing of the agreement on strategic partnership  between Russia and Iran. 

The expert noted that according to the content of the document, if  Iran is attacked, for example, by Israel or the United States, Russia  undertakes not to help the Israelis or the Americans. He added that  in the same way, if Russia is attacked by, say, Finland or Poland,  Iran promises not to help the Finns or the Poles.

"Such conclusions, in particular, can be made by analyzing Article 3  of the Russian-Iranian treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership,  signed today in the Kremlin by Putin and Pezeshkian. The multi-page  document has 47 articles, in which it is difficult to find anything  that speaks of the creation of a military alliance between Moscow and  Tehran, similar to the one concluded last year between Russia and  North Korea. And if we speak more specifically, then we should not  expect that Persian soldiers will fight on the side of the Russian  Armed Forces on the Ukrainian fronts," Dubnov noted. 

At the same time, he noted that among other articles of the treaty,  Article 12 is of interest, where Moscow and Tehran "cooperate with  the aim of preventing interference in the Caspian region, Central  Asia, Transcaucasia and the Middle East and the destabilizing  presence of third countries there.

"Such a vague formulation, however, gives grounds to assume that  Russia and Iran a priori consider the policy of many countries in the  specified regions to be harmful, which seek to establish strategic  partnership relations with the United States or begin the process of  rapprochement with the European Union, as, for example, Armenia is  doing today. Note, by the way, that on the day of signing this  document, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan called Putin to explain  to him these issues that worry Moscow," the political scientist  added.

Dubnov noted that the agreement also contains Article 33, in which  the parties undertake to "jointly counter disinformation and negative  propaganda regarding Russia and Iran, the dissemination of unreliable  socially significant information that threatens national interests  and security: and other abuses in the media sphere."

At the same time, he asked whether this means that the Kremlin will  advise Russian media to ignore news about death sentences handed  down, in particular, to Iranian women for some sins; it is difficult  to say: 

"Let us also pay attention to the fact that the Iranian president,  answering journalists' questions, carefully avoided mentioning the  "Zionist entity" (the word "Israel" is banned in Iran) even when  Putin spoke about the need to create an independent Palestinian  state, "existing in peace and security with Israel." And such silence  should already be considered progress in the rhetoric of Iranian  leaders; usually they will not miss the opportunity to declare once  again that the "Zionist entity" is illegal and has no right to  exist," Dubnov concluded.

On November 17, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership  agreement. The document was signed in Moscow by the presidents of the  two countries, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, following  negotiations.

The document consists of a preamble and 47 articles. A third of the  document is devoted to issues of bilateral military-technical  cooperation and international security. In a separate clause (Article  12), Moscow and Tehran stipulated that they would contribute to  "strengthening peace and security in the Caspian region, Central  Asia, Transcaucasia, and the Middle East" and cooperate to prevent  "interference in the said regions and the destabilizing presence of  third states there."