Iran ‘helping Putin swerve Western sanctions’

Iran is teaching Russia how to swerve sanctions imposed by the West as it assists Putin’s war effort, a security expert has told Express.co.uk. It has already been widely reported, and admitted by Tehran, that Iran has been providing Russia with thousands of “suicide drones”. These have been unleashed in brutal strikes on civilian targets and large swathes of critical energy infrastructure across multiple regions.King Charles laid a poppy wreath on behalf of his mother at the Cenotaph since 2017 before placing his own as Prince of Wales, this year he only walked once to the monument created in honour of the fallen to leave his own wreath.But a perhaps lesser-known signal of warming Moscow-Tehran relations is intelligence that Iran has been advising Putin on how to avoid crippling sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Israel’s former acting National Security Advisor Jacob Nagel said: “They (Iran) are teaching Russia how to overcome the world banking system, how to overcome sanctions, they are teaching them (what they have learned from) their own experience.”(They are providing) information, experts are going from Russia to Iran and Iran to Russia. They have warm relations and they are working together.”And Mr Nagel is not the only expert who has been made aware of this. Western diplomats told Politico there were a series of recent meetings between senior Russian and Iranian officials. Iran is reportedly helping Putin swerve Western sanctions (Image: Getty ) Jacob Nagel is Israel’s former National Security Advisor (Image: Getty)Iran itself has been subject to Western sanctions, including restrictions on foreign trade, financial services, energy sectors and technologies. It comes as Russia faces fresh sanctions on its energy sector, one of the country’s most lucrative industries which rakes in billions each year.Putin also has the bargaining chip of Europe’s staggering dependence on Russian gas supplies.But as fresh punishments are set to be enforced, including an oil embargo (which will come into effect in December), Iran could offer Russia a way out. READ MORE: Millions in China nearing lockdown as ‘worst COVID-19 outbreak’ hits Iran has been providing Russia with ‘suicide’ drones (Image: Ukraine Defence Ministry )Diplomats have warned that if an international nuclear accord is struck with Iran, it could provide a huge lifeline for Putin. To help Putin swerve the full impact of the embargo, Iran could import Russian crude to its northern Caspian coast and then sell equivalent amounts of crude for Russia via Iranian tankers departing from the Persian Gulf. Iran would also refine the Russian oil to sate its own ravenous domestic demand while, thanks to the nuclear pact, the Iranian oil exported from the south would be exempted from sanctions.However, this all depends on whether the 2015 nuclear deal, which requires Iran to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions relief, is renewed. The deal was abandoned back in 2018 when former US President Donald Trump pulled out. But Mr Nagel has urged the West not to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA).DON’T MISS Ukraine sent US air defence systems to annihilate Putin’s missiles [REPORT] Germany sends Putin huge warning and unveils new ‘panther’ tank [REVEAL] Putin ‘still gets his money from sale of oil’ as he bypasses sanctions [INSIGHT]  Russia rakes in billions from exporting energy supplies to Europe (Image: Express) Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 (Image: PA)It was signed by a group known as the P5+1, which included China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, the United States and EU.He told Express.co.uk: “Russia and Iran are working together. China is doing business with Iran. Both of them are adversaries of the US…Iran wants to go back to the JPCOA and they will agree to this horrible proposal that they have on the table.”There would be an agreement within five minutes no matter what the Russians and the Iranians are doing in Ukraine.”The US should understand that there is no agreement anymore, that’s it. Russia and China are not partners (with the UN security council) anymore. They give Iran whatever they want and they are not part of the P5+1 (the members of the UN Security Council which originally signed the deal).”