[link removed]
CRANK Call is a monthly review of developments involving cooperation, and at times contention, among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (the CRANKs ([link removed]) ).


** September Highlights
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** Russia and Iran strengthen relations after tensions over June war, conclude deal for nuclear power plants
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Russia and Iran have taken several steps ([link removed]) in recent weeks—both rhetorical and substantive—to shore up their bilateral relationship after a number of Iranian officials expressed disappointment ([link removed]) with the level of support they received from Russia during the military clashes with Israel and the United States in June. Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said during a visit to Moscow on September 19 that Russia’s support ([link removed]) for Iran against the Israeli attack had been “good and firm.” Joint statements issued during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s mid-September visit also emphasized the shared interests
([link removed]) between Iran and Russia as countries targeted by U.S. and Western sanctions and opposed to a unipolar world order.

On September 24, Russian and Iranian officials signed a memorandum of understanding for a deal under which Rosatom will build ([link removed]) four small nuclear power reactors ([link removed]) in Iran, as part of Iran’s stated goal of acquiring 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed nuclear capacity by 2040. The provision of these reactors would be prohibited under the “snapback” of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran, which took effect on September 27 after a Russian and Chinese resolution to lift them failed to pass. Russia has made clear publicly that it does not recognize ([link removed]) the renewed UNSC sanctions on Iran, arguing that the three European powers (“the E3”) that triggered the snapback
mechanism lacked standing to do so.

Iranian legislator Abofazl Zohrevand also said, according to local media, that an additional group of MiG-29 fighter jets ([link removed]) had been transferred by Russia to Iran in recent weeks as a stopgap measure pending the delayed delivery ([link removed]) of Su-35 aircraft. He also confirmed reports of the recent delivery of Chinese HQ-9 air defense radars and missiles.


** Russia may have supplied North Korea with naval nuclear propulsion technology
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South Korean intelligence agencies are investigating what they believe to be a transfer ([link removed]) by Russia to North Korea of two or three miniaturized nuclear reactors ([link removed]) designed to power submarines. The reactor modules were reportedly not newly built but removed from decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines. North Korea has long sought to acquire naval nuclear propulsion technology—accessible to only a handful of governments worldwide—because it would enable the development of long-range ballistic missile submarines capable of striking the United States and remaining on station for extended periods.


** China’s surging oil imports from Indonesia hint at new route for Iranian supplies
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Chinese Customs Bureau data for August showed oil imports from Indonesia surging to 630,000 barrels per day (bpd) ([link removed]) —an improbable figure for a country that is itself a net oil importer. This increase followed a tripling of reported imports from Indonesia in July. The spike coincided with a sharp decrease in imports from Malaysia, which had also been improbably high. Most of these volumes likely represent crude oil transferred from Iranian tankers to other vessels via ship-to-ship transfers ([link removed]) near the Strait of Malacca. The buyers in China appear to be the same group of independent refineries that have made a lucrative business from processing discounted Iranian crude oil. Several of these refineries have been sanctioned by the United States, but their lack of connections to U.S. oil
companies or banks have obviated the impact.


** Charlie Kirk murder exploited for propaganda by Russian, Chinese, and Iranian outlets
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In the weeks following the assassination of conservative media personality Charlie Kirk on September 10, there has been a massive surge in activity ([link removed]) from U.S. adversaries seeking to use the event to stoke internal divisions and portray the country in a negative light. An analysis by NewsGuard ([link removed]) , a company that tracks online disinformation, recorded 6,200 mentions of the killing in Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state-influenced media—many of which spread conspiracy theories or other false information. Some Russian outlets blamed Ukraine for the murder, while several Iranian outlets pointed to Israel. As Utah Governor Spencer Cox noted at a press conference on September 12, “What we are seeing is our adversaries want violence. We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instill disinformation
and encourage violence.”


** Links
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China and Russia joined forces to oppose a European move to restore UN Security Council sanctions on Iran. (Reuters ([link removed]) , PBS ([link removed]) )

India tacked away from the United States at the SCO Summit, drawn by energy interests. (Economic Times ([link removed]) )

A China–Mongolia–Russia agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline could reroute regional energy trade. (The Diplomat ([link removed]) )

China showed unity with Russia and North Korea at the SCO Summit, though divisions remain. (Wall Street Journal ([link removed]) )

South Koreans are reexamining their stance on nuclear weapons amid growing North Korea–Russia–China cooperation. (Chosun Daily ([link removed]) )

China and Russia introduced a UN Security Council resolution to end sanctions on Iran, knowing it would be voted down. (Associated Press ([link removed]) )

The head of Rosatom said Russia can help China surpass the United States in nuclear power generation. (Reuters ([link removed]) )

Russia pledged to deepen cooperation with China in the Arctic. (South China Morning Post ([link removed]) )

A sanctioned tanker delivered an LNG cargo to China from Arctic LNG 2. (Reuters ([link removed]) )

Russian and Chinese submarines conducted a joint patrol in the Sea of Japan. (Washington Times ([link removed]) )

Chinese imports of Russian crude oil dipped in August. (South China Morning Post ([link removed]) )

Kim Jong Un attended the SCO Summit—his first time participating in a multilateral gathering of leaders—and received thanks from Putin for assistance in Ukraine. (BBC ([link removed]) , Reuters ([link removed]) )

Russia is helping North Korea catch up on conventional military hardware and technologies. (Wall Street Journal ([link removed]) )

President Xi met with President Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. (Embassy of China, Washington ([link removed]) )

President Xi and Kim Jong Un met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit and pledged to enhance ties. (CNN ([link removed]) , NBC News ([link removed]) , Yonhap News Agency ([link removed]) )

Kim Ju-ae accompanied her father, Kim Jong Un, on a state visit to China, underscoring her growing stature within the regime. (Chosun Daily ([link removed]) )

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United Nations has renewed relevance in an era of multipolarity. (United Nations ([link removed]) )

President Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s pledge not to pursue a nuclear weapon at the UN General Assembly. (United Nations ([link removed]) )

In a rare appearance at the UN General Assembly, a senior North Korean diplomat said the country will never give up its nuclear deterrent. (Associated Press ([link removed]) )


** Recent Analysis
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China, India, and North Korea back Russia as changing global order takes shape ([link removed]) (Katherine Spencer, Atlantic Council)

The China-Russia natural gas deal is a distraction from LNG sanctions evasion ([link removed]) (Olga Khakova, Atlantic Council)


** CRANK Call
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Editor-in-Chief, Paul Saunders
Editor, Greg Priddy ([email protected])

Image: Office of the President of the Russian Federation (via Wikimedia Commons)

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