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.

A CIA employee who was accused of leaking classified documents about Israel's plans to strike Iran pleaded guilty on Friday to criminal charges that he willfully retained and transmitted national defense information,