Since the attack on June 13, 2025 of Iranian nuclear and military installation by Israel, Iran is now considering itself at war and is more than ever determined to fight. But who are his allies?

China

China, spectator of events, has an implicitly privileged relationship with Tehran. Indeed, the two countries have signed numerous economic, political and military cooperation agreements.

Beijing has always condemned American sanctions against Iran and considers Washington as the main responsible for the failure of the Vienna agreements on Iranian nuclear. In addition, China represents almost a quarter of Iranian exports, and buys around 90 % of the oil that Iran manages to sell abroad. She therefore has economic interests to take the side of Tehran.

But beyond the economic aspect, it is also a geopolitical opportunity: support for Iran is part of an anti-American logic, aimed at questioning the hegemony of the United States. China has also facilitated the integration of Iran into the Shanghai cooperation organization.

In March 2021, the two countries signed a 25 -year strategic partnership, providing for more than $ 400 billion in Chinese investments in Iran. The latter thus hopes to relaunch its economy by integrating into the project of new silk routes, a Chinese initiative intended to facilitate exchanges between Asia and Europe.

Russia

A long-standing ally, Russia is the main ally of the Teheran regime and the two countries share a common opposition to the West and above all, in the United States. Since the war in Ukraine, so as not to be so vulnerable to Western sanctions, Russia has turned to countries like Iran with which it has developed economic partnerships. Indeed the two countries are both the subject of Western sanctions, and therefore organize to bypass the conventional financial circuits. The two countries then multiply the bilateral agreements, especially in the energy sector, industry, transport, and of course, armament.

But also, Iran provides Russia with combat drones Shahed-136, to support it in its war against Ukraine, which ultimately only accelerated the military rapprochement between the two countries.

It is not really an ideological alliance, although the two countries are opposed to the United States, but more of a strategic partnership of circumstance. In addition, the two countries have common regional interests, and Iran, anxious not to depend too much on China, preferred to diversify its strategic partnerships.

Other countries and organizations

In addition to its two main partners, Iran has developed in recent decades a network of non-state militias and allies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Hachd al-Chaabi in Iraq, or the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In Syria, these forces often act in coordination with the Guardians of the Revolution, consolidating the regional influence of Tehran. Iran also has good relations with Venezuela, based more on ideological proximity and common opposition in the United States than on real economic ties.

Finally, countries like Oman, Qatar or Turkey maintain ambivalent relations with the Islamic Republic: marked by a certain geopolitical competition, but also by punctual cooperation, dictated by strategic or economic interests.

But despite all these alliances, Iran seems quite isolated, with a China which as usual, remains behind, and Russia which prefers to play the role of mediator. Hamas and Hezbollah have been greatly weakened by their war with Israel, and the Houthi rebels do not have the means to support Iran.