Exclusive, Iranian ambassador met with Russian arms maker for development of cooperation.
An Iranian diplomat met with the CEO of Rostek, according to a letter obtained by Rackett.
Sergei Chimazov, CEO of the giant Russian weapons holding company Rostek, met with
Iranian ambassador Kazim Jalali on or around March 16, according to a letter distributed
to Rostek subsidiaries.
dated March 13, the letter from Rostek's senior directorate solicited ideas for development
of cooperation with Iran from Rostek's 800-odd enterprises.
Responses were to be sent in by March 16, in preparation for a meeting between Chimazov
and the ambassador for the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation, Jalali.
The Wall Street Journal reported a week ago that Russia is expanding its intelligence
sharing and military cooperation with Iran, noting it would be providing satellite imagery
and improved drone technology, in an effort to keep Iran in the fight longer against the
The journal earlier reported that Russia was providing Iran with the locations of US targets,
like military ships and aircraft.
Iranian strikes aided by Russian intelligence targeted an early warning radar for a terminal
high altitude area defense, THAAD system in Jordan, as well as targets in Bahrain, Kuwait
Technical guidance from the Russians, drawing from kinetic experience in Ukraine, included
information on drone quantity and strike altitude guidance.
The Rostek letter, obtained by Racket via a document leak, confirmed some of the journal
reporting while also suggesting the Russians are viewing the war through a broader lens,
seeking long-term partnership opportunities.
It's all an obvious win-win for Russia, as how one source put it.
Rostek CEO Chimazov served in the Dresden office of the KGB decades ago alongside Vladimir
In the period before the invasion of Ukraine, Chimazov imagined his company might become
a global player in the defense market, along the lines of Simon's and GE.
It previously dabbled in joint ventures with Western companies like Renalt Neeson, while
control of domestic auto giants like Chimaz and Avto Vaz aided its growth.
Since its creation by government order in 2007, Rostek has come to operate hundreds of
factories and research institutions, and is now responsible for up to 80% of the armament
supplied to Russia's military operations, according to Russian state media.
Rostek employed over 660,000 people as of 2023, and reported $31.6 billion in revenue
A similar meeting to the one held last week was held in July 2024, when discussions between
Russian companies and representatives of Iran Center for Progress and Development yielded
