Following the announcement of the results of the US Midterm Elections, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin increased pressure on the Pentagon. The Kremlin reportedly announced on November 4, 2026 that it would provide Iran with 90 advanced, portable APU-L missile-launchers, designed for use on helicopters. Although Russia faces a shortage of weapons and ammunition due to the war with Ukraine over the past four years, it has decided to send missile-launchers to Iran in order to take advantage of the situation as US President Donald John Trump faces pressure in his country. According to political analysts, President Putin, defying sanctions from the Western world, seeks to strengthen defence cooperation with his old ally, Iran. His main aim is to expand Russia’s influence in West Asia, yet again.

As per a report published in the British daily Financial Times, it is mentioned in a document, detailing the production plans of a Russian defence equipment manufacturer, that a contract has been signed by the two countries for the export of APU-10 missile-launchers. However, Iran was not explicitly named as the buyer. Instead, a codename – K-10 – has been used in the document. Analysts are of the opinion that K-10 is employed in Russian defence documents to refer to the Islamic Republic.

The Russian state media, too, hinted at the supply of missile-launchers to Tehran on November 4, 2026. Incidentally, Russia has previously assisted Iran in developing supersonic cruise missiles, apart from supplying the 9K333 Verba – a Russian 4th-generation, shoulder-fired man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) – missiles, designed to destroy low-flying aircraft.

Iran Sends Peace Proposal To The US With 7 Conditions
On the instructions of President Trump, Vice President James David Vance recently sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, via Qatari mediators to explore a framework for potential talks. Agreeing to that proposal, Tehran has put forward a seven-point set of conditions, including a nuclear agreement, aimed at achieving a ceasefire. At the same time, the West Asian nation has made it clear that no discussions regarding the nuclear deal or the opening of the Strait of Hormuz would take place until seven conditions are met.

Iran’s core demands include: A complete end to hostilities, including in Lebanon; Lifting of naval blockade; Lifting of Iran sanctions; Release of frozen assets; Reduction of US military presence in the region; Compensation for war-related damages and an end to US attacks on Iranian territory.

It may be noted that the US President signalled the possibility of launching a military operation against Iran even after the crushing defeat of his Republican Party in the Midterm Elections. Trump claimed on November 5, 2026 that he was fully prepared to launch a military operation against Iran, stressing: “The US military now possesses a much larger quantity of weapons.“

On November 4, 2026, the top Iranian leadership celebrated the rejection of the Republican Party and President Trump by voters in the US Midterm Elections. On that very day, the Administration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated and formalised transit exemptions, allowing commercial vessels from India, China, Iraq and Qatar to freely navigate the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile,

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Facebook

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Twitter

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Linkedin

Contact us: kousdas@gmail.com

Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das