A nonpublic Russian government document obtained and reviewed by News Media details Moscow’s ambition to expand ties with Iran well beyond conventional trade. Its proposals include alternative financial networks, nuclear cooperation, Iranian manufacturing of Russian aircraft components, major energy ventures and transportation corridors extending toward the Persian Gulf.

Titled “Plan for Cooperation Between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran for 2024-2026,” the 44-page document is written in Russian and marked “For official use.” Russia approved it on Sept. 2, 2024. The plan assigns ministries, government agencies and state-owned companies to specific projects, with deadlines running through the end of 2026.

The document was drafted more than a year before the current war involving Iran and the United States. It therefore does not show which projects remain active or how the conflict may have changed Moscow’s priorities.

Still, an independent review of the Russian-language plan, together with subsequent public reporting, indicates that several of the initiatives it outlined later moved forward or came to fruition.

Keti Korkiya, a research analyst in the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, reviewed the document for News Media. She said its importance lies not in any individual project, but in the broader framework Moscow was seeking to construct with Tehran.

“The roadmap is not revelatory: people paying close attention to the relationship between Russia and Iran will see many collaborations between the two countries that have been public for years,” Korkiya said in a written analysis provided to News Media.

“What is more revealing is the architecture of the relationship Moscow is trying to build,” she said, citing financial arrangements, transportation links, energy investment and aviation cooperation as mechanisms for reducing vulnerabilities created by sanctions and Western economic pressure.

“These are nonpublic high-level documents that illustrate the comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Iran,” a European intelligence source who reviewed the material told News Media.

The source described the cooperation as “strategic, sensitive and highly politicized,” with a focus on nuclear programs, energy trade and financial transactions intended to evade U.S. sanctions.

A U.S. official, speaking on background in response to News Media’s questions about the financial provisions, said American sanctions have “severely isolated Russia and Iran from the international financial system.” Efforts by both countries to establish alternative financial channels and other sanctions-evasion mechanisms were therefore “not surprising,” the official said.

Washington closely monitors attempts by sanctioned jurisdictions to create alternative cross-border payment systems, the official added, and would work to disrupt mechanisms that support sanctions evasion or illicit finance.

The Russian plan does not use the term “sanctions evasion.” Instead, it repeatedly advocates greater use of national currencies, independent financial channels and measures to counter what Moscow calls “unilateral restrictive measures.”

BUILDING FINANCIAL CHANNELS OUTSIDE WESTERN SYSTEMS

The plan’s most specific provisions address how Russia and Iran would transfer money between them.

It sets a goal of raising the share of bilateral trade conducted in national currencies from 68% in 2024 to 71% by 2026, while also expanding correspondent accounts denominated in those currencies.

More significantly, the roadmap directs the Bank of Russia and the Central Bank of Iran to explore using central bank digital currencies for cross-border settlements.

It also calls for “ensuring the use of independent systems for transmitting financial messages,” including the connection of financial institutions to independent channels for exchanging financial information.

The document does not specify which messaging system would be used, nor does it explicitly say that the objective was to bypass SWIFT or U.S. financial controls.

But some of that financial integration later became public.

In February 2025, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said Russia and Iran had “practically completely” shifted bilateral settlements into national currencies using their own systems for transmitting financial and banking messages. Interfax, a Russian news agency, reported that the effort was part of a broader push toward independent payment infrastructure between the two countries.

Iran’s ambassador to Russia also said in February 2025 that Tehran and Moscow no longer needed SWIFT for bilateral banking relations and were using their own confidential bank-messaging systems. He said the initial phase of linking Iran’s Shetab payment network with Russia’s Mir system had begun the previous year.

Korkiya said the significance of those measures is cumulative.

“Individually, none of these initiatives is transformative,” she wrote. “Collectively, however, they amount to an attempt to remove single points of vulnerability and build redundancy into the Russia-Iran economic relationship.”

The financial effort is paired with a political one.

The roadmap calls for Russia and Iran to coordinate through BRICS and other international institutions against “unilateral trade restrictions,” while another provision proposes studying ways to counter “unilateral restrictive measures” and their impact on global markets.

Korkiya said that goes beyond simply finding workarounds.

“Especially interesting is that the roadmap also goes beyond practical sanctions workarounds and includes an effort to build an intellectual and diplomatic campaign against sanctions themselves,” she wrote, citing plans for expert communities, discussion platforms and an international forum focused on unilateral restrictions.

A U.S. official told News Media that financial institutions and intermediaries enabling sanctions evasion expose themselves to “significant sanctions risks,” adding that Washington would continue working with partners to “identify, expose and disrupt these networks wherever they emerge.”

The official also pushed back on the idea that alternative Russia-Iran systems could displace Western financial infrastructure.

“Russia and Iran can try to build alternative financial channels, but they cannot replicate the reach, liquidity or trust of the U.S. dollar and the international financial system,” the official said. “Their efforts will not weaken the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions.”

ROSATOM AND IRAN’S NUCLEAR SECTOR

The financial architecture sits alongside another strategically sensitive pillar of the relationship: civilian nuclear energy.

The plan assigns Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom continued responsibility at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, including fuel and maintenance support for Unit 1 and continuing construction work associated with Units 2 and 3.

The cooperation did not remain solely on paper.

On Sept. 2, 2026, Rosatom said Russian specialists had begun returning to Bushehr, that Unit 1 was preparing for scheduled maintenance and partial fuel replacement, and that nuclear fuel had already been delivered to the site. Rosatom also said work was continuing on the plant and that additional Russian specialists were expected to arrive.

Korkiya noted that the Bushehr Units 2 and 3 project predates the 2024 roadmap, meaning the document did not originate that cooperation but rather incorporated an existing strategic project into the broader Russia-Iran framework.

“Such strategies and protocols confirm that Russia and Iran are closely aligned countries, and Russia almost certainly continues and aims to increase its current cooperation with Iran also in 2026,” the European intelligence source said.

News Media sought comment from Rosatom on the document and the current status of its work in Iran.

ENERGY PROJECTS — WITH SOME FINANCING KEPT CONFIDENTIAL

The roadmap also identifies specific Iranian oil and gas fields where Moscow sought a role.

It names Shadegan, Kish and North Pars, assigning Russia’s Energy Ministry and unspecified “interested Russian companies” responsibility for advancing the projects.

Those companies are not named in the roadmap. For several projects, the financing column is marked “Confidential.”

There is evidence that at least one of the named projects advanced.

Interfax reported on Feb. 13, 2026, that Russian state-owned ZN-Vostok was developing Iran’s Shadegan oil field, while Iranian officials said Tehran hoped to expand Russian investment across additional oil and gas projects.

The roadmap sets milestones for Shadegan through the end of 2025, while work involving Kish and North Pars runs into 2026 and includes legal, commercial and project-analysis work.

That pattern appears repeatedly through the document: ministries, deadlines and strategic objectives are spelled out, while some of the participating companies or financing arrangements remain undisclosed.

RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT PARTS — MADE IN IRAN?

One of the more unusual provisions goes beyond ordinary trade.

The roadmap calls for Russia to help establish production in Iran of individual parts and assemblies for Russian aircraft.

Russian authorities were instructed to determine which aircraft parts could be repaired or manufactured in Iran, identify Iranian companies capable of producing them, certify selected sites through Russia’s aviation regulator Rosaviatsiya and conclude a localization agreement.

The roadmap set a March 31, 2026, deadline for an agreement on localized production and a Dec. 31, 2026, target for launching prototype production.

Public evidence does show that aviation cooperation advanced in the related area of aircraft maintenance.

In February 2025, Rosaviatsiya’s chief said three Iranian companies had been approved to perform maintenance and airworthiness work on Russian-operated aircraft after an Aeroflot Airbus A330 underwent maintenance in Tehran.

The Russian government also publicly discussed deeper aviation-industrial cooperation with Iran that month, including aircraft manufacturing and joint work on jet engines for passenger aircraft.

But News Media has not independently verified that the more ambitious provision in the roadmap — manufacturing Russian aircraft components inside Iran — was implemented.

A TRADE ROUTE SOUTH

The document also lays out an effort to strengthen the physical transportation network linking Russia and Iran.

It calls for work on a proposed railway built to Russia’s 1,520-millimeter track gauge, stretching from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan toward Iranian ports on the Persian Gulf.

The proposal remained in the planning and negotiation stage in the roadmap.

Separately, Moscow sought to advance the Rasht-Astara railway, a roughly 162-kilometer missing link in the International North-South Transport Corridor.

That project subsequently moved beyond the purely conceptual stage.

Russia and Iran formally launched engineering surveys for the railway in May 2025, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry.

Korkiya said the project had still not reached full construction by late summer 2026, with Russian and Iranian officials continuing to work on the implementation and construction arrangements. She also identified another provision: Iranian investment in port infrastructure in Astrakhan, Russia.

The roadmap calls for a terminal there using Iranian investment, along with warehouses, a logistics park and grain and vegetable-oil facilities. Korkiya found that an Iranian-owned company later operated a terminal in Astrakhan with a railway spur and was building grain and vegetable-oil storage facilities that closely tracked the roadmap’s description, although the document does not identify that company by name and the match cannot be definitively established.

Taken together, the transport provisions point to an effort to build physical trade routes that are less dependent on traditional European corridors.

MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY AND “INFORMATION SECURITY”

The roadmap reaches well beyond finance and heavy industry.

It calls for content exchange, journalist training and joint media production, including at least two joint projects and ‘professional training’ for Iranian journalists.

It also calls for Russian technology companies to secure at least two contracts in Iran involving information and communications technology, including “information security,” telecommunications and the video-game industry.

A PUTIN FAMILY CONNECTION AT THE TOP

The official overseeing the Russian side of the relationship also has a direct connection to President Vladimir Putin’s extended family.

Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev chairs the Russian side of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Tsivilev is married to Anna Tsivileva, a Russian deputy defense minister and the daughter of Putin’s late cousin, Reuters reported when Putin appointed her to the Defense Ministry in June 2024.

The European intelligence source argued that the connection reflects the political importance Moscow attaches to Iran.

“It should be emphasized that on Russia’s part, the economic cooperation with Iran is coordinated and managed by a representative of Vladimir Putin’s extended family,” the source said.

“This indicates that the Iranian matter is not just one of many bureaucratic issues in the agenda of the Russian government. But it holds significant value for the interest of the Vladimir Putin regime.”

“What is also notable is the degree of state coordination and institutionalization behind this effort,” she said, pointing to the involvement of central banks, ministries, regulators and state companies, as well as formal deadlines and confidential financing in some projects.

“That suggests Moscow is trying to turn what could otherwise remain a politically convenient partnership into something more durable and bureaucratically embedded,” Korkiya said.

Russian and Iranian officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment from News Media. News Media also sought comment from Rosatom and from Russian officials responsible for Moscow’s participation in BRICS.

Hayden Panettiere was remembered by celebrity friends and former colleagues at a celebration of life in Malibu, California, on Saturday.

Her former Nashville co-stars Connie Britton, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio were among those who attended the service at Malibu Pacific Church.

Ruby Rose, Beverly D’Angelo, Evan Ross, filmmaker Storm Santos, celebrity colorist Erick Orellana, makeup artist Beau Nelson and other friends and entertainment industry figures were also photographed at the gathering in exclusive images obtained by the Daily Mail.

The memorial began at about 5pm outside the church, where as many as 150 guests gathered on a mezzanine and shared food from Pizza Girl.

Around 5:30pm, several doves were released as a symbolic tribute.

Guests later went inside for an emotional ceremony. A large photograph of Panettiere was displayed beside the words: ‘Honoring the life & legacy Hayden Panettiere 8.12.89 – 8.16.26.’

Jonathan Jackson was seen crying during the evening as he was comforted by his fellow Nashville cast member Sam Palladio.

Security guards remained stationed at the church entrance throughout the evening, with local Sheriff’s deputies also present. The celebration of life ended at approximately 7:30pm.

A source told TMZ that the gathering was ‘emotional and beautiful.’

A band performed inside the church, while Britton and Charles Esten delivered speeches.

Esten also sang a song from the pair’s television series, Nashville.

Panettiere’s father, Skip, attended the service, while her mother, Leslie Vogel, from whom the actress was estranged, was reportedly absent.

Skip was seen wearing a suit accessorized with Hawaiian-style lei flowers around his neck.

A source close to Vogel denied that she had been invited, telling TMZ that she was unable to attend because of a family emergency.

Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach have responded after being left out of the late actress’s memorial.

The brothers understand why they were not included in Panettiere’s celebration of life, according to TMZ.

Panettiere died one month ago at age 36, after going into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose in South Carolina, where she was staying at an Airbnb with Brian, 37, and Zach, 38.

Amid the Nashville star’s death, Brian is said to be spiraling and has reportedly lost 40 pounds since Panettiere died.

Last month, detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail that they responded to a 911 call from an ‘acquaintance’ of Panettiere, who described her as ‘unresponsive.’

Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was found on a mattress in the loft apartment where the actress was staying, TMZ previously reported.

Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said that Panettiere’s autopsy has been completed and that no signs of trauma were found on the star’s body.

She had arrived in Greenville with Brian one day earlier.

According to the Greenville Police Department’s incident report, Zach told police that Brian was sleeping in a separate room of the Airbnb when he arrived and found the actress unresponsive in a chair.

Zach stated that Brian administered Narcan – a medication that reverses opioid overdoses – and that they performed CPR while communicating with 911 dispatchers.

Earlier this month, Brian and Zach were involved in a bar brawl, leading to the former’s detainment and the latter’s arrest for disorderly conduct.

The brothers had been drinking at Wild Wing Cafe, an eyewitness told TMZ, when other patrons allegedly heckled them over Panettiere’s August 16 death.

Panettiere had a tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Brian beginning in 2018.

Throughout their relationship, he was arrested and charged in connection with domestic abuse multiple times.

In 2021, he pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, resulting in jail time, probation, domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution, and a five-year protective order, per People.

Zach previously told TMZ in the wake of the actress’s death: ‘There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling.

‘The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth.’

He described Panettiere as ‘precious’ and said her friends and family should be allowed to mourn her peacefully.

‘At this time, I want to clarify my involvement in effort to keep the focus on the fact that we lost one of the most precious individuals on this earth and to allow those that cared about her to mourn without additional noise, chaos, and misinformation being created and propagated by the media as well as the public,’ he said.

A homeowner clearing a yard for a new patio has made an extraordinary archaeological discovery: Denmark’s largest known Viking Age silver hoard.

North Jutland Museums announced the find in northern Denmark on Aug. 31.

The treasure was uncovered by a private individual preparing the ground for a tiled terrace, the museum said in a statement.

The homeowner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, described the moment as “the biggest surprise of my life.”

“It should have been just a few hours of hard gardening to remove stubborn grass, stones and gravel in relation to a new tiled terrace,” the finder said.

About 30 minutes into the work, the homeowner hit something that produced “a strange sound.”

“At first I thought it was old iron or fence wire as well as some potsherds, but when I started digging with my hands, I could suddenly fish one metal object after another out of the ground,” the person recalled.

“After a short time of careful work, it dawned on me that it was jewelry, coins and silver bars,” the homeowner added.

Buried inside a clay vessel and believed to date to the 10th century, the hoard contains roughly 700 objects and fragments. The collection includes silver ingots, bracelets, coins, a small Thor’s hammer and pieces of cut silver.

North Jutland Museums said the discovery is the largest known Viking Age silver hoard ever found in Denmark.

It surpasses the previous record-holder, the approximately 14-pound Terslev hoard, and weighs nearly three times as much.

Around 320 objects weighing a combined 14 pounds remained inside the original clay vessel. The remaining items were scattered in the surrounding soil.

The homeowner will not be able to keep the treasure. Danish law grants ownership of such hoards to the state, although the finder may receive a reward.

The discovery followed the recovery of six Viking Age gold arm rings from the same area earlier in 2026, Torben Sarauw, head of cultural heritage at North Jutland Museums, told Fox News Digital.

“Almost everything about this discovery surprised me,” Sarauw said.

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“We did not expect that the same area would also produce one of the largest Viking Age silver hoards ever found in Denmark.”

Sarauw said the hoard stands out for both its exceptional size and the range of objects it contains.

“It contains an unusually large number of silver ingots,” Sarauw said. “One ingot bears runic inscriptions that may have been intended to protect the treasure, while others are marked with Thor’s hammers and Christian crosses.”

“The combination of pagan and Christian symbols, together with the runic inscription and the sheer quantity of silver, makes the find unique,” he added.

Whoever buried the hoard was likely “extremely wealthy and of very high social status,” Sarauw said, although that person’s identity has been lost to history.

“The size of the hoard suggests access to extensive networks of trade, exchange and perhaps political power,” the official said. 

“The discovery also indicates that Himmerland was home to a significant center of wealth during the Viking Age, something we are only beginning to understand.”

Sarauw said hoards were typically buried to safeguard wealth during uncertain times. 

This treasure may be connected to another silver hoard found nearby several years ago.

“Someone who buried more than 18 kilograms [40 pounds] of silver was clearly concerned about losing it,” he said.

“One possible explanation is that the owner died before he could recover his treasure, perhaps while traveling or taking part in an overseas expedition. Of course, this remains a hypothesis, and we cannot know for certain.”

There is additional significance, Sarauw said.

“This discovery is helping to change our understanding of northern Jutland during the Viking Age,” he said.

“Together with the nearby gold arm rings and other important finds from the area, it suggests that Himmerland may have played a much more prominent role in the political and economic landscape of Viking Age Denmark than previously believed.”

Germany’s federal prosecutor has indicted seven people accused of acquiring weapons for Hamas in preparation for terrorist attacks timed around the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

The case has brought renewed attention to the threat posed by Hamas networks operating in Europe, including the potential danger to Israeli, American and European institutions and civilians.

According to the prosecutor’s office, all seven defendants are members of Hamas’s foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors said the group’s military arm, the Qassam Brigades, had begun setting up weapons caches in Europe and, by July 2025 at the latest, was planning a specific assassination in Germany or Austria targeting Israeli representatives, Jews or people viewed as supportive of Israel. The suspects were arrested between October 2025 and May 2026.

Prosecutors said the planned attack was intended to occur near the second anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel—meaning in early October 2025.

The indictment identified the defendants by first name and the initial of their surname: German citizen Abed Al G.; Danish citizen Yousif C.; Lebanon-born Borhan El-K.; Lebanon-born Wael F.M.; German citizen Ahmad I.; Lebanon-born Kamel M.; and Bulgarian citizen Mohammad S.

German privacy laws generally prevent authorities from publishing the full surnames of criminal suspects.

German prosecutors said the suspects had obtained a working fully automatic rifle, 13 operational pistols and more than 700 rounds of ammunition. They added that Mohammed A., who is facing separate proceedings, moved some of the weapons to Vienna and placed them in storage.

The German newspaper Die Welt reported that one defendant had worked as a confidential source for Germany’s domestic intelligence service. The newspaper said case files indicated the informant continued communicating with his handler while allegedly withholding the full scope of his role in securing ammunition for the network.

Sascha Adamek, a German journalist and author of the 2026 book “Infiltration: Political Islam Continues Its Advance,” told News Media that the arrests exposed the consequences of earlier German policies. He argued that, until 2023, successive federal governments allowed Hamas and affiliated front organizations to use Germany for fundraising, recruitment and the radicalization of young people. The assumption that Hamas would refrain from violence in Germany in exchange for being allowed to operate, he said, is no longer viable.

Germany’s latest federal domestic intelligence report estimated that Hamas may have had up to 650 operatives in the country in 2025, the most recent year covered. That compares with 550 in 2024 and 450 in 2023. Officials cautioned that the totals are partly estimated and rounded. The report also listed 1,250 Hezbollah operatives in Germany.

Asked why Hamas and Hezbollah members and operatives continue to conduct activities in Germany, the German Interior Ministry’s press office told News Media that Hamas has been prohibited from operating in the country since 2023. However, the ministry said the group still maintains a support network whose members have generally avoided public activity and visible signs of affiliation.

The ministry said Hezbollah is also banned in Germany but does not operate through a single nationwide or regional umbrella organization. Instead, its supporters are dispersed among various associations. Those groups, which authorities classify as Hezbollah-linked, primarily engage in religious and cultural activities and educational programs for children, young people and adults promoting conservative Islam and Shi’ite identity. In some cases, the ministry said, supporters have provided specific assistance to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Responding to criticism that Germany has been too lenient in dismantling Hamas and Hezbollah structures, the Interior Ministry pointed to its legal actions. It said Hamas’s activities were banned on Nov. 2, 2023, because they violate German criminal law, undermine international understanding and significantly harm Germany’s interests. Hezbollah’s activities had previously been prohibited on April 30, 2020, for similar reasons, the ministry said.

The ministry added that federal and state security agencies routinely investigate indications of extremist activity and criminal offenses while reviewing all countermeasures permitted under German law.

It also said Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military operation in the Gaza Strip continue to influence the security environment in Germany and across Europe. Alongside the elevated underlying threat, officials cited sustained pro-Palestinian demonstrations and intensified activity on social media. The ministry warned that extremist actors in Germany are promoting hatred or violence against Jews and Israel and, in some cases, denying Israel’s right to exist.

The presence of indicted Lebanese men highlights the alliance between the two U.S-designated terrorist organizations, Hamas and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

The Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah joined Hamas a day after the Gaza-based terrorist movement invaded Israel in 2023 and slaughtered over 1,200 people.

Germany’s Die Welt reported, “The prosecutors alleged the weapons operation was also coordinated from Lebanon, where a Hamas operative allegedly oversaw one of the procurement channels linking members of the network across Europe.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry seized on the report about the planned Hamas terror attacks in Germany and Austria, posting on X: “Palestinian Hamas was planning terror on the streets of Europe. German prosecutors say Hamas plotted attacks in Berlin and Vienna targeting Jewish communities and Israeli diplomats – part of a network allegedly using Turkey as a base for terror operations against European targets. The goal: mark October 7 with more blood.”

Matthew Levitt, a leading scholar on Hezbollah and Hamas in Europe from the Washington Institute, told News Media, “I wrote the only long form, detailed expose on this a while back now in CTC Sentinel [Combating Terrorism Center}, based on court documents and extensive interviews.” He added, “Hamas continues plotting in Europe, overseen by senior Qassam Brigades officials in Lebanon and with direct ties to senior Hamas leadership. One of the people arrested in Europe is the son of a senior Hamas leader, Basem Naim.”

Levitt published his article titled “Hamas Plots in Europe: A Shift Toward External Operations?” in the October 2025 issue of the West Point journal CTC.

Levitt cited a 2024 German prosecution indictment of alleged Hezbollah terrorists planning possible attacks against an American military base and Israel’s embassy. Levitt wrote, “The weapons, German officials concluded, ‘were intended to expand Hamas’ activities in Europe.‘ As the investigation progressed, German authorities determined — based on materials found on one of the defendants’ USB storage devices — that the Hamas operatives were considering specific targets in Germany, including the Israeli embassy in Berlin, the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate and the area around Berlin’s Tempelhof airport.”

Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, warned that Hamas remains a serious security threat. He told the German media outlet Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), “Germany has gone from being a retreat for Hamas to an active terrorist target.” He stressed Hamas’ ideology and terrorism affects “all of us” and a coordinated response is required.