Exclusive: Russian document reveals sweeping Iran plan spanning nuclear, finance and aviation

Fox News has obtained a 44-page document titled 'Plan for Cooperation Between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran for 2024-2026,' approved in September 2024. Marked 'For official use,' the document assigns responsibilities to Russian ministries and state companies to establish alternative financial channels, deepen nuclear cooperation at the Bushehr plant, localize the production of Russian aircraft components in Iran, and develop transportation routes toward the Persian Gulf. Analysts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies suggest the document's significance lies in the institutional architecture Moscow is building to reduce vulnerability to Western sanctions. According to the report, several initiatives, such as the use of national currencies in bilateral trade and technical aviation cooperation, have already been implemented. A European intelligence source told Fox News that these collaborations are strategic and highly politicized, aimed at evading U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, U.S. officials stated that Russian and Iranian efforts to build alternative financial channels cannot replicate the reach, liquidity, or trust of the U.S. dollar and the international financial system, adding that Washington will continue to disrupt sanctions-evasion networks.