Russia's Ambassador to Tehran Alexey Dedov said economic cooperation between Moscow and Tehran continued to grow despite the US-Israel war and regional tensions.
In an interview with Tehran Times, Dedov noted that bilateral trade volume in 2025 increased by 21 percent compared to the previous year, reaching approximately $5.8 billion.
Trade growth of 21 percent
The Russian ambassador said that despite some logistical disruptions in the January-April period of 2026, trade volume recorded a growth of 2 percent. He stressed that the full implementation of the Eurasian Economic Union-Iran Free Trade Agreement, which took effect on May 15, 2025, played a significant role in this growth.
Dedov stated that the trade volume between Iran and Eurasian Union member countries increased by 15 percent in the first year of the agreement. According to official statistics from the Iranian side, this trade value reached approximately $7.3 billion in the March 2025-March 2026 period, a 22 percent increase.
Record growth on North-South Corridor
The ambassador said the use of the North-South International Transport Corridor has increased, announcing that Russia's goods exports to Iran rose by more than 56 percent in the first four months of 2026. The total volume of cargo transported on this route reached approximately 2.2 million tons, an increase of 87 percent.
Cooperation on infrastructure and nuclear projects
Dedov said Russia is ready to help rebuild Iran's war-damaged infrastructure, adding that if an official request comes, they will begin evaluating proposals.
The ambassador also touched on nuclear cooperation, saying that when security conditions are met, Rosatom experts are ready to return to Iran to continue construction of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Rasht-Astara railway and Hormuz plant
Dedov said construction of the Rasht-Astara railway is ongoing with technical studies continuing. For the Hormuz nuclear plant, Russian and Iranian companies are negotiating a contract framework, and a face-to-face meeting will be held in Moscow in late June or early July.
Dedov said Rosatom continues talks with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran regarding small-scale nuclear power plant projects, adding that Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, is always welcome in Russia.
Strait of Hormuz passages
Regarding statements that more favorable conditions would be provided for Russian ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Russian ambassador said that for now, commercial vessels have free passage for 60 days under the Islamabad Agreement, and the mechanism and conditions after that period are still in the draft stage.
