Vladimir Putin visit highlights axis of evil

Vladimir Putin’s arrival in Iran for only his second trip outside of Russia since his invasion of Ukraine (the other was to Tajikistan) could hardly be more significant. Building on his “no limits” alliance with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Russian despot is embarked on establishing a new tripartite “axis of evil” with Tehran’s terrorist-supporting ayatollahs, and it is imperative that the world’s democracies prepare to confront the potential challenge that represents.

China already has close ties with Iran that have done much to help the ayatollahs circumvent international sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. In March last year, China and Iran signed a 25-year co-operation agreement worth a staggering $US400bn. China is a major weapons supplier in return for Iranian oil.

For years, Mr Putin was cautious about forging an outright alliance with Tehran because he worried doing so might damage Russia’s lucrative economic links with the West. Sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and European countries over his Ukraine invasion, however, have made such concerns irrelevant. In Tehran, Mr Putin is reported to be negotiating substantial arms deals aimed at further cementing the bilateral relationship. Mr Putin also is bedding down arrangements for new joint military exercises involving forces from Russia, China and Iran. Also on the agenda is Iran’s wish to join the BRICS trading group of Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa. Existing members account for 40 per cent of the world’s population and about 25 per cent of the global economy. The group has done much to overcome Western attempts to isolate Russia. With scant progress in negotiations with the US over a new nuclear deal, the ayatollahs want the BRICS to do the same for Iran.

Concurrently in Tehran as part of what is clearly a concerted drive to build a new anti-Western alliance is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite being a NATO member, he is keen to do a deal with Mr Putin and the ayatollahs: he needs both to sign off before launching his own “special operation” – modelled on Mr Putin’s in Ukraine – against pro-Western Kurdish militias in northern Syria fighting the forces of President Bashir al-Assad, who is backed by Russia. Mr Putin’s “axis of evil” pacts with the ayatollahs and Mr Xi are certain to be highly consequential. It is imperative that the world’s democracies are aware of what is at stake. When rogue nations such as Russia, China and Iran get together, the geopolitical results are bound to be significant.