New York,USA_
New York Post on Saturday, August 9, 2025,says a growing rift has reportedly emerged between longtime allies Russia and Iran, fueled by Tehran’s dissatisfaction with Moscow’s limited support amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and recent regional tensions. The disagreement centres around a $1.75 billion weapons agreement signed in 2023, which granted Russia access to Iranian drone designs, particularly the notorious Shahed drones, for domestic production.
The deal, described at the time as a “covert partnership,” aimed to supply Russia with the technology to manufacture Shahed drones—kamikaze-style unmanned aerial vehicles that have become a critical element of Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine. Russia began importing these drones shortly after launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
However, according to Western intelligence sources cited by CNN, Iran has grown increasingly frustrated with what it perceives as a lack of meaningful support from Russia, especially during critical moments such as the Islamic Republic’s 12-day conflict with Israel in June. During that period, Tehran expected substantial military backing from Moscow, but Russia’s response was limited to condemning Israeli strikes as “unprovoked and unacceptable” and offering diplomatic mediation, without any direct military aid.
This absence of tangible support left Iran vulnerable. Israeli forces conducted numerous devastating airstrikes on Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities, killing over 30 Iranian commanders, among them at least 11 top nuclear scientists. The intensity of these attacks forced Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, into hiding. A Western intelligence official characterized Russia’s stance as “purely transactional and utilitarian,” noting that Moscow “never intervenes beyond its immediate interests, even when a partner—here, an essential supplier of drones—is attacked.”
Further straining relations, Russia has reportedly taken Iran’s original Shahed drone designs and developed improved, more cost-effective versions without adequately informing Tehran. While Iran’s Shahed drones reportedly cost around $200,000 each, Russian-manufactured variants now sell for roughly $70,000, with enhanced lethality and greater resistance to being shot down, according to Ukrainian sources. It remains unclear how much Russia has paid Iran under the agreement, with Western sanctions on Moscow complicating transactions.
Satellite imagery reveals that as much as 90% of Shahed drone production now occurs within Russia, with the largest manufacturing facility located in Alabuga, approximately 600 miles east of Moscow, continuing to expand.
