Russia is supplying Iran with technology to bolster its cyber warfare capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 27.
The military cooperation between the two countries has been steadily growing since the onset of Russia's all-out war in Ukraine.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Russia has likely been supplying Iran with more advanced technology to spy on dissidents' phones and software, internet censorship software, eavesdropping devices, surveillance cameras, and lie detectors.
Iran employed digital surveillance tools to locate and detain protestors in 2022, and also implemented internet access restrictions in specific regions to impede the spread of protests.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal indicated that Russian officials reportedly view the advantages of the military alliance with Iran as outweighing any potential disadvantages.
Russia has been using Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones against Ukraine since September, launching waves of attacks that have killed civilians and damaged energy facilities nationwide.
Russia's use of these drones also enable Moscow to conserve its precious stocks of expensive cruise and ballistic missiles, understood to be running low after over a dozen mass strikes since autumn 2022.
Igor Kossov
