Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Moscow on 17 January to sign a strategic partnership treaty that has been years in the making.

The long-awaited cooperation agreement will govern relations between the two countries for the next 20 years, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow has said.

This is not the first time Iran has signed a comprehensive long-term agreement with another country.

In 2021, Iran and China entered into a 25-year deal covering multiple sectors. However, it faced public scrutiny and criticism, as some observers argued that Tehran had made excessive concessions. At the time, officials clarified that the deal was merely a roadmap and did not include detailed agreements.

There are now similar public concerns about the provisions of the agreement with Russia, particularly given Moscow’s limited popularity amongst Iranians. This sentiment is rooted in historical events, including the loss of several Iranian provinces in the Caucasus region, such as Azerbaijan, to Russia in the early 19th century.