Russia’s lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to ratify a treaty to deepen political, military and economic ties with Iran, as Moscow moves closer to its key ally.The vote held on April 8 comes with high tensions between Iran and the West and as Russia pushes a rapprochement with Washington despite its offensive on Ukraine.Amid deepening military cooperation over the last three years, Iran has been accused by Kyiv and the West of supplying weapons, including self-detonating “Shahed” drones to Russia for its campaign against Ukraine.In the treaty, the sides agreed to help each other counter common “security threats”, but it stops short of a mutual defence pact like the one signed between Russia and North Korea last year.”The signing of the treaty does not mean the establishment of a military alliance with Iran or mutual military assistance,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said in an address to the State Duma. Instead the treaty states that if either side is subjected to aggression, the other will not provide “assistance to the aggressor”. n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION3:26 RUSSIA ‘NOT OBLIGATED’ IF TRUMP ATTACKS IRAN6:10 NETANYAHU PANNED BY ISRAELI MEDIA