The presidents of Russia and Iran have held talks in the Kremlin before the signing of a broad cooperation pact to deepen their partnership amid stinging Western sanctions.

The agreement is focused more on trade than military issues, but it will bring two countries with a shared desire to challenge the West closer together.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday signed a 20-year strategic partnership treaty that includes closer defence cooperation, something likely to worry the West.

A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty to leaking classified documents about Israel’s preparations to attack Iran late-last year, according to the Department of Justice. Asif William Rahman had been employed by the CIA since 2016 and held a top secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmented information,

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty Friday to leaking information on a planned Israeli attack on Iran. Asif Rahman, 34, was arrested by the FBI in November weeks after classified documents appeared on the Telegram messaging app.