Amid a broader 20‐year strategic partnership between Iran and Russia, a free trade deal involving the Eurasian Economic Union came into effect, reducing tariffs and boosting interbank cooperation. This move deepens economic ties with authoritarian regimes, potentially reinforcing military and political alignments that undermine democratic norms.

In late December 2024, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of the EAEU granted formal observer status to the Islamic Republic of Iran and established a free trade zone. This move is perceived as a strategic geopolitical step designed to extend Russia’s sphere of influence in the region by deepening economic engagements with authoritarian regimes.

The recently published Report No.84/2023 on ‘EAEU Development 2022+: Strategic Objectives and Demands of the Times’ outlines an extensive agenda of trade agreements, infrastructural upgrades, harmonization of internal markets, and external engagement with partners that are heavily influenced by state-centered decision‐making. The report emphasizes measures that consolidate centralized economic integration and align with geopolitical doctrines that have been associated with authoritarian regimes, thereby potentially reinforcing oligarchic and undemocratic practices in the region.

A recent academic study evaluating political freedoms and human rights in Eurasian Economic Union member states argues that the EAEU, established on January 1, 2015, functions as an instrument of Russian authoritarian influence. The union’s model of centralized economic and political integration is portrayed as reinforcing power centralization and suppressing liberal democratic norms across its member states.

The article discusses the inception of the Eurasian Economic Union in January 2015, noting that its formation is linked to poor democratic practices, human rights abuses, and the entrenchment of authoritarian regimes. By fostering closer economic and political ties among states with dubious records on governance, the EEU is seen as potentially deepening repressive practices and reducing external oversight.