A senior officer of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has clarified that Tehran did not seek military support from either Russia or China during its 12-day conflict with Israel in June, despite existing long-term cooperation agreements with both countries.
In a video message released Sunday by the IRGC’s political affairs office, Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, the deputy commander for political affairs, addressed mounting public questions over the role of Russia and China during the recent war.
“Some people in society asked during the war why China and Russia, with whom we have 25-year and 20-year cooperation agreements, did not assist us,” Javani stated. “The answer is that the nature of these agreements does not include mutual defense or obligations for either country to enter a war on the other’s behalf.”
Javani emphasized that while Iran’s partnerships with Moscow and Beijing include military collaboration and arms sales, they do not entail a collective defense clause. He added that Iran is similarly not obligated to support Russia in its war in Ukraine under these arrangements.
Following Israel’s June 13th strike on Iranian territory and the subsequent U.S. airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 22nd, voices inside Iran and among its allies abroad questioned the absence of tangible support from Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed those concerns while the war was ongoing, stating that during negotiations over the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, Moscow had offered Iran a mutual defense pact—an offer Tehran reportedly declined. Putin also claimed that Russia had proposed building an advanced air defense system for Iran, which was similarly turned down in favor of developing indigenous capabilities.
Though Iranian officials have neither confirmed nor denied Putin’s account, Javani’s statement on Sunday appeared to support the Russian leader’s remarks.
Since the end of hostilities, unconfirmed reports have circulated regarding Iran’s potential interest in acquiring Chinese military equipment. Meanwhile, there have been regular sightings of Russian military aircraft landing in Tehran, suggesting that arms transfers between the two nations may be ongoing.