As a result of recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and international sanctions designed to restrict Iran and Russia’s financing and weapon production capabilities, Moscow and Tehran are building their own black market defense industrial economy. This represents a new strategic challenge to the United States, which must not only defend against the proliferated, low-cost drone threat posed by Shahed and Geran systems but protect its supply chains from exploitation by foreign adversaries.

A forthcoming CNAS report, Partners in Proliferation: Mapping a Decade of Iranian-Russian Military Cooperation, finds that the Iran-Russia partnership has transformed in recent years from one of convenience and short-term mutual gain to one based on long-term, strategic outcomes. Based on data maintained by the CNAS Defense Program, Partners in Proliferation argues that this relationship will likely continue to develop in increasingly creative ways as both Moscow and Tehran must diversify their defense industries to skirt Western sanctions, supply their proxies and/or militaries with high volumes of cheap drones, and develop new institutional expertise through intelligence sharing.  
  
Join the Center for a New American Security on Wednesday, November 18, from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET for a live, virtual conversation with senior policy experts to discuss recent developments in the Iran-Russia relationship and impacts for U.S. policy. The discussion will focus on the relevance of the partnership to current conflicts, the vulnerabilities the United States might face as a result, and the opportunities available to prevent and interdict this behavior with aid from American allies and partners.