Because a tin plate is dense and resistant to prevent further oxidation, if you take a noncorroding material, such as brass and scratch away some of the surface exposing new material, then the oxide layer closes up immediately and helps protect the material. If iron is a contact with a more corrosion resistant metal such as tin, copper or lead, the other material can act as a large cathode that significantly increases the rate of reduction of oxygen.
It is because the oxidation of iron perpetuates the reduction of oxygen, which can result in a dramatic increase in the rate at which iron is oxidated of iron. Corrosion is a process by which metals deteriorate through oxidation. Out of all the metals vulnerable to corrosion, iron is by far the most important. A common cause of damage to metal objects is by poor storage, where objects are piled on top of each other, causing scratching.
Exposing the iron to water/oxygen will cause the iron to rust. It will also be providing electrons to the tin, as it is higher in the EC series, so rusting will take place more quickly.