Russia – Iran: Duma Ratifies Strategic Partnership Treaty

On the same day that trilateral consultations between Russia, China, and Iran on the future of Iran’s nuclear program were taking place behind closed doors in Moscow, the State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament) ratified the Strategic Partnership Treaty between Russia and Iran. The document was signed by Moscow and Tehran in January 2025 on the sidelines of the summit held in the Russian capital during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian (pictured).

According to the press service of the State Duma, the Russian-Iranian Treaty includes 47 articles and covers a wide range of issues related to military-technical cooperation between the two countries, as well as international security. The document does not contain provisions similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, according to which an attack on one member of the alliance is considered an aggression against the entire bloc. However, a section of the Treaty states: “In the event of an attack on one of the parties, the other party will not provide the aggressor with any technical, military, or other assistance.”

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russia “approves” of the direct and indirect contacts planned in Oman between the United States and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking at a press conference, press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: “We are aware that there are certain contacts planned in Oman, both direct and indirect. This definitely causes only a positive reaction, as the dialog can help reduce tensions around Iran,” Peskov said, addressing the media.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will lead the United States delegation to the talks on a new nuclear agreement with Iran, scheduled for Saturday, April 12 in Oman, according to CNN, citing a “well-informed” source. According to CNN, this concerns “direct talks” between Washington and Tehran – a fact confirmed by US President Donald Trump himself. The denuclearization of Iran is expected to be at the top of the agenda. At the same time, Iran promptly denied reports of “direct contacts” with the US side, but clarified that Tehran “might be open to such a negotiating format if an indirect meeting proves fruitful.”