Belarus, Iran Plan Strategic Military, Economic Partnership Amid Sanctions

Belarus and Iran, both supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine and subject to Western sanctions, are seeking to deepen their bilateral cooperation across political, economic, cultural, and military-technical fields. Their presidents, Alexander Lukashenko and Masoud Pezeshkian, emphasized the need to transform geopolitical challenges into opportunities and expressed readiness to explore all areas of partnership with no closed topics. Iran has offered its expertise to help Belarus neutralize what they describe as illegal Western sanctions, reflecting a shared experience and mutual support. The two countries also highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation within international frameworks such as the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS. This strategic alignment was underscored by their intent to sign a strategic partnership treaty and to strengthen trust through enhanced economic and cultural ties. Both leaders portrayed their relationship as a reliable and friendly partnership aimed at resilience against Western economic and political pressures.