Russia and Iran would expedite working on a joint “major new interstate agreement,” Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.
The statement said the two foreign ministers agreed in a telephone conversation on Monday to accelerate work on the agreement, which is at “a high stage of readiness.” However, the scope of the new deal was not specified.
Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin held five-hour talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the Kremlin last week.
Strengthening ties between the two countries raised concerns in the United States since Iran, like North Korea, could provide Moscow with military equipment for the war in Ukraine, where Russia deployed Iranian drones extensively.
Last month, the Kremlin announced that Russia and Iran were developing their relations, “including in the field of military-technical cooperation,” with Iranian leaders claiming that military co-operation with Russia was expanding day by day.
That same month, Iran declared it had finalised arrangements to supply Russia with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft.
Iran is a major supporter of Hamas, Israel’s enemy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a telephone conversation with Putin on Sunday, expressing “strong disapproval” of Russia’s “dangerous” partnership with Iran.
Israeli forces launched Operation Swords of Iron, targeting Gaza by air, land and sea, in response to the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas. Over 18,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the outbreak of the military conflict.
Official figures put the death toll from the Hamas attack in Israel at 1,200.
