Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has been given a tour of an exhibition showing off Iran’s latest achievements in advanced missile, drone, and air defense technology.
Footage and photos released by the Defense Ministry on Wednesday shows Shoigu, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, and other senior Iranian commanders touring the National Aerospace Park – a permanent military and space-themed exhibition in Tehran.
Equipment spotted in the footage of the walk around tour includes the Sevom Khordad, the Iranian road-mobile medium-range air defense system that famously shot down a US RQ-4A Global Hawk spy drone over Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz in June 2019. Several HESA Shahed 136 loitering munition drones were seen in their launch containers. Also on display was the Fattah, Iran’s brand new maneuverable, medium-range hypersonic missile.
Opened in 2020, the National Aerospace Park contains an array of existing and prospective Iranian weapons designs, including full-scale mockups of a variety of missiles, radars, rocket engines, homegrown defense electronics, satellites, and – famously – the painstakingly reconstructed remains of the downed American Global Hawk.
Shoigu arrived in Iran on Tuesday, meeting with Iranian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Mohammad Baqheri. The officials discussed a range of issues, including the situations in Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as bilateral military cooperation. Shoigu emphasized the need to ramp up joint training, drills, and exchange of cadets with Iran.
Baqheri revealed that work was underway on a new, long-term military cooperation pact. “The Leader of the Islamic Revolution believes that long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia is in the interest of both nations and for that reason, a document is being drawn up in this regard,” he said. The commander added that developments in the world show that the era of US-led global unipolarity has ended, and that multiple powers capable of shaping a new world order have emerged.
On Wednesday, Shoigu spoke with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, highlighting that Western sanctions pressure on Russia and Iran has proven “futile,” and said that “Russia-Iran cooperation is reaching new highs.” The Russian defense minister emphasized that Russia is prepared “to take further steps [with Iran] to strengthen stability and security in the Middle East.”
Shoigu’s trip to Iran follows last month’s visit to Moscow by Iranian Army Ground Force Commander Kioumars Heidari, where he announced Tehran’s willingness to further boost military cooperation with its Russian partners.
The Russian defense minister’s visit to Iran follows his trip to North Korea in July for high level talks with Kim Jong-un and other senior North Korean officials. Shoigu and Chinese representatives were guests of honor at a massive nighttime military parade commemorating the Korean War which showed off the country’s latest intercontinental ballistic missiles.
During that trip, Kim gave Shoigu a tour of the East Asian nation’s defense achievements, including a mystery new North Korean attack and surveillance drone. After coming back to Russia, Shoigu briefed President Vladimir Putin.
Last week, Kim paid a whirlwind, week-long visit to Russia, holding talks with Putin, watching the launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, and inspecting a Russian commercial and military aircraft manufacturing plant.