Russia and Iran Discuss Expanded Cooperation on Disaster Management

## Moscow signals interest in Iran’s emergency-response experience

Russia’s minister of emergency situations, Gen. Alexander Kronkov, said Moscow is interested in sending a delegation to Tehran to study Iran’s experience in protecting infrastructure and providing emergency services during wartime, according to a report by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Kronkov made the remarks during a meeting with Omid Mohtaremi, deputy head of Iran’s Crisis Management Organization, in Astrakhan, Russia. The Iranian delegation was in the city to take part in the international “Caspian 2026” exercise and to discuss the expansion of bilateral cooperation in disaster management.

Referring to what he described as Iran’s successful experience in assisting and providing services to the public during the recent war, Kronkov said Russia was interested in dispatching a team to Tehran to benefit from Iran’s knowledge of safeguarding infrastructure against threats.

“By working together, Moscow and Tehran can achieve great successes and improve the security of the people of both countries,” Kronkov said, as quoted by IRNA.

## Officials emphasize mutual support

The Russian official presented the relationship as one based on reciprocal assistance during difficult circumstances. Quoting the principle that “a friend is known in hardship,” he said Iran had stood by Russia in difficult conditions and that Russia would likewise stand by Iran.

Kronkov also referred to the dispatch of Russian firefighting personnel to help combat a fire at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port last year. He said Russia remained prepared to support its neighbor and partner and would respond quickly to any request from Tehran for assistance and relief operations.

He welcomed Iran’s participation in the Caspian 2026 exercise, describing Iran and Russia as two neighboring countries facing similar natural and human-made hazards. In his view, the similarities in their risk environments make regular exchanges between specialists and joint exercises necessary.

Kronkov said cooperation between the two countries was interconnected and emphasized Russia’s support for the people of Iran, whom he said had endured difficult tests. He also pointed to existing interaction between Tehran and Moscow through the coastal states of the Caspian Sea and through organizations and mechanisms including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

According to the report, he said Moscow would support constructive initiatives in those frameworks when they served the fundamental interests of both countries.

## Proposal for a long-term cooperation document

Mohtaremi said Iran was ready to expand joint work with Russia in disaster management. He pointed to Iran’s high exposure to natural hazards and said that access to the experience and technical capabilities of other countries, including Russia, was important for Tehran.

He said bilateral cooperation and joint action in disaster management had increased in recent years. Iran, he added, was prepared to develop a long-term program covering the disaster-management cycle through a mutually agreed document.

Mohtaremi proposed that the two sides first define the areas and framework of cooperation and then work toward signing a joint agreement in the presence of the heads of the two countries’ disaster-management authorities. He described deeper cooperation as beneficial to the populations of both countries and said collaboration in disaster management should develop in line with the broader strategic relationship between Iran and Russia.

The Iranian official also highlighted the role of the public in responding to emergencies. He said citizens, community groups and nongovernmental organizations played an irreplaceable role in organizing and managing disasters, responding to emergencies and supporting reconstruction. Iran, he said, was prepared to share its experience in mobilizing and involving these groups if requested by the Russian side.

## Technical areas under discussion

The meeting covered a broad range of operational and technical subjects. The two sides discussed aerial firefighting, the assessment and estimation of damage from natural disasters using satellite and drone imagery, and ways to improve the safety of high-rise buildings.

Other topics included river dredging, the establishment of disaster-management command and control centers, search and rescue, and planning for joint action. The subjects reflect an approach that combines immediate emergency response with prevention, infrastructure safety, damage assessment and institutional coordination.

The discussions also indicate that the proposed cooperation would extend beyond the exchange of general policy experience. The areas identified by the officials involve specialized equipment, training, information systems and field operations that could be incorporated into future joint programs or exercises.

## Caspian exercise brings together five countries

The Caspian 2026 international exercise was held in Astrakhan with the stated aim of strengthening cooperation in search and rescue among the five countries bordering the Caspian Sea: Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

The exercise featured a series of emergency-response scenarios. Participants practiced assisting vessels in distress, extinguishing fires, containing fuel leaks and responding to oil pollution. They also carried out exercises involving the control of oil eruptions from damaged pipelines.

Other scenarios included managing incidents on oil platforms and rigs, fighting forest fires with aircraft and helicopters, assisting people in a vehicle that had fallen into a river, and evacuating an injured person by helicopter. Rescue teams also practiced saving people trapped in damaged buildings and searching for missing individuals in rubble with the assistance of search-and-rescue dogs.

One of the exercise’s notable components was the presentation of a training and simulation center for rescuing helicopter crews after a crash into water. The facility uses a pool equipped with systems that generate artificial waves and wind, allowing responders to simulate conditions associated with a real helicopter accident. Participants practiced rescuing crew members and transferring them to a safe location.

The exercise therefore served both as a platform for cooperation among the Caspian states and as a setting for Iran and Russia to identify areas for deeper bilateral coordination.

## Broader contacts on the sidelines

During the event, the Iranian delegation met with the heads of the Russian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Turkmen delegations. The meetings focused on subjects of mutual interest, joint cooperation and the exchange of experience in disaster management.

The Iranian delegation also visited an exhibition of photographs by children from Minab and an exhibition dedicated to civilians killed in attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, according to the Iranian Consulate in Astrakhan.

For Moscow and Tehran, the discussions in Astrakhan provided a combination of political engagement, technical exchange and practical training. Russia’s stated interest in sending specialists to Tehran, together with Iran’s proposal for a long-term cooperation document, could give structure to future work in areas ranging from infrastructure protection and public mobilization to aerial firefighting, emergency communications and search-and-rescue operations.

At this stage, the report describes interest, readiness and proposals rather than a finalized delegation schedule or signed agreement. The next steps will depend on the two sides’ decisions regarding the framework, priorities and implementation of any future cooperation.