Iran, Belarus move toward strategic cooperation treaty to counter Western pressure
MINSK — Iran and Belarus agreed on Wednesday to draft a treaty on strategic partnership during talks in Minsk, with both sides pledging to expand economic ties and resist Western sanctions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meeting with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, thanked Minsk for supporting Tehran on nuclear issues and for condemning attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He stressed that Iran has “never initiated war” but reserves the right to respond to aggression, calling recent strikes violations of international law.
The Iranian president also underlined the need to align economic cooperation with the high level of political trust between the two capitals, noting shared positions in international forums such as the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Lukashenko described Western sanctions against both nations as “economic terrorism,” urging accelerated collaboration in trade, banking, technology, and joint industrial projects. He said bilateral trade had grown fivefold in five years and proposed expanding production partnerships in agriculture and machinery.
Cultural and humanitarian exchanges were also highlighted, with preparations under way for the “Days of Belarusian Culture” in Iran.
Both leaders affirmed plans to finalize the strategic cooperation treaty soon, describing it as a foundation for stability in a multipolar world. Belarus reiterated support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy under IAEA oversight, while warning that strikes on nuclear facilities risk destabilizing the international order.
