Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran on Friday that follows similar pacts with China and North Korea. All three countries are adversaries of the United States, and Russia has used its ties with them to help blunt the impact of Western sanctions and boost its war effort in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, at a summit on Friday to sign a new pact, as the two countries brace for the return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House.