Stories
Russia & Iran Secretly Plotted Sanctions Evasion Before Trump's 'War'
- •Russia devised a detailed plan to deepen strategic and economic ties with Iran from 2024-2026, including alternative payment systems, energy projects, and nuclear cooperation, according to a Fox News Digital report.
- •The 44-page Russian government document, approved on September 2, 2024, outlines a roadmap to counter US sanctions by focusing on national currencies, independent financial messaging systems, and alternative payment channels.
- •Key aspects included increasing bilateral trade in national currencies, exploring central bank digital currencies for cross-border payments, and establishing independent financial messaging systems, with Iran stating it no longer needed SWIFT for Russian banking.
- •The plan also centered on civilian nuclear cooperation, assigning Rosatom responsibilities for Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, and identified Iranian oil and gas fields for greater Russian company involvement.
- •Beyond financial and energy collaboration, the roadmap called for Russia and Iran to coordinate through BRICS and other international platforms against unilateral trade restrictions, highlighting a broader strategy to shield from Western pressure.
Key Questions Answered
The Russian government document, approved on September 2, 2024, outlined a roadmap for 2024–2026 to deepen strategic and economic ties with Iran. It focused on increasing bilateral trade settled in national currencies from 68 percent to 71 percent, expanding correspondent banking, exploring central bank digital currencies, and creating independent messaging systems to reduce Western financial vulnerabilities.
The roadmap placed civilian nuclear cooperation at the center of relations, assigning Rosatom responsibilities for fuel and maintenance support for Unit 1 of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant alongside continued work on Units 2 and 3. It also identified Iranian oil and gas fields, including Shadegan, Kish, and North Pars, for greater Russian company involvement.
By February 2025, Russian officials reported that most bilateral settlements with Iran had shifted to national currencies and independent messaging systems. Iran stated it no longer needed SWIFT for banking relations with Russia, while work began to connect Iran's Shetab payment network with Russia's Mir system.
