Russia and Iran have grown closer since the start of the Ukraine war and could emerge with a “full-fledged defense partnership.”

Last month, we reported that Iran was accused of providing Moscow with weapons—including “kamikaze” drones—to evade Ukrainian air defenses. Both Ukraine and Russia denied the claim.

“Iran has become Russia’s top military backer,” John Kirby, the U.S. national security council spokesman, said. “Russia’s been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat and critical services. People in Ukraine today are actually dying as a result of Iran’s actions.”

On Saturday, Ukraine said Russia employed Iranian drones in strikes across the country, which was seen as evidence that Tehran sent Moscow a new shipment.

Kirby told reporters last week that the two countries are considering the joint production of deadly drones. 

Kirby expressed concerns that Russia will provide Iran with “advanced military components,” like air defense systems, helicopters, and fighter jets.

The countries are considering teaming up to create a drone assembly line that will be able to produce a fleet of drones for the Ukraine war. Russia, in turn, will train Iranian pilots and possibly send Tehran the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter.

“These fighter planes will significantly strengthen Iran’s air force relative to its regional neighbors,” Kirby said.

Iran may also sell “hundreds” of ballistic missiles to Russia, Kirby said.

Senior Biden administration officials told NBC News that the U.S. is “looking at options to bring together a group of like-minded countries to discuss Iran-Russia military cooperation,” and considering ways to make sure Moscow and Iran cannot move equipment through their new partnership.

“We are imposing costs on the actors involved in the transfer of Iranian UAVs to Russia for use in Ukraine,” one official told the network. “We are assessing further steps we can take in terms of export controls to restrict Iran’s access to sensitive technologies.”

TRENDPOST: How many people died needlessly because the U.S. wants to see Russia weakened in Ukraine? The hypocrisy knows no limit. The U.S. media ignores Israeli attacks on Syria, a sovereign country, because there is a double standard. If Russia bombs Ukraine, it is presented as an attack on mankind, when Israel shells civilian infrastructure in Syria, its actually praised as effective self-defense.

Both Russia and Iran share a common bond: they are both despised by the West. The FT noted that “Russia took Iran’s pace as the target of the biggest sanction program in modern history, making the two nations pariahs politically and economically.”

Still, Russia has denied any need for outside assistance to achieve its objectives in Ukraine.

“The Russian military-industrial complex is doing very well and does not need anyone’s support,” said Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia. 

We noted last month, “HYPOCRITES ON PARADE: WESTERN WEAPONS CONTINUE TO FLOW INTO KYIV, BUT CONDEMN IRAN FOR SENDING WEAPONS TO RUSSIA.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already noted the hypocrisy of the U.S. for criticizing other countries that support each other militarily.

Last month, Putin reminded reporters that it was the U.S. under President Donald Trump that assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a drone strike just outside the Baghdad airport in Iraq. 

“They are not shy about anything,” he said. “They killed Soleimani, an Iranian general… You can judge Soleimani however you want, but this is an official in another state. They killed him on a territory of a third country and said, ‘Yes, we killed him.’”

Of course, war begets war. Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday (Dec 11) the country was ramping up production of new-generation weapons to protect itself from enemies in Europe, the United States and Australia.

“We are increasing production of the most powerful means of destruction. Including those based on new principles,” Medvedev said.