Minsk and Tehran Draw Closer After Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Belarus and Iran strengthen ties with 13 new agreements covering defense, economy and technology, forming united front against Western sanctions following attacks on Iranian sites.
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Belarus and Iran signed a sweeping package of cooperation agreements in Minsk on Wednesday, pledging to expand defense, economic, and technological collaboration while presenting a united front against Western sanctions.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formalized 13 agreements, ranging from military-technical cooperation to joint initiatives in industry, tourism, and education. The two leaders also announced the start of talks on a broader strategic partnership treaty.
The visit, repeatedly delayed after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure in June, underscored the shared grievances of two heavily sanctioned governments. Lukashenko denounced the attacks as “a serious threat to regional and international stability,” and declared Belarus’s support for what he called Iran’s “legitimate right to develop peaceful nuclear energy.”
Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, has faced international criticism for enriching uranium at levels with no civilian application and for restricting inspectors’ access to its nuclear facilities.
Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s experience in navigating Western restrictions and vowed to help Belarus “neutralize” sanctions, while praising Minsk as a reliable partner. Lukashenko, for his part, promised to assist Iran “from food supplies to military-technical cooperation,” describing the Iranian president as a “friend.”
Neither government disclosed details on the scope of future defense cooperation, though both have previously aligned themselves with Moscow. Lukashenko has allowed Russian forces, including tactical nuclear weapons, to operate from Belarusian soil since the invasion of Ukraine. Iran, meanwhile, has supplied Russia with attack drones and earlier this year signed a long-term cooperation pact with President Vladimir Putin.
The growing partnership highlights a deepening axis between Moscow’s closest allies at a time of heightened confrontation with the West.