Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will hold talks in Russia on Jan. 17 after which they will sign a long-awaited comprehensive strategic partnership pact, the Kremlin said on Monday. The agreement comes as the Islamic Republic nears a breakthrough point to becoming a nuclear state.
In its announcement, the Kremlin said the two leaders will discuss options for further expanding ties between Moscow and Tehran, including in the trade and investment, transport and logistics, and humanitarian spheres. Putin and Pezeshkian will also talk about regional and international issues, it added.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian with Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Photo: Reuters)
Russia's announcement comes hours after a report appeared in the London Times about Iranian officials traveling on diplomatic missions to Russia to bolster its military capabilities.
According to the report, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's close advisor Ali Larijani held secret trips to Moscow to meet with senior officials there in an effort to secure Russia's help for Iran's nuclear program and for its aerial defenses, after having been damaged in the Israeli attacks late last year.
According to the Times, Western intelligence sources said Tehran was requesting Russian assistance in matters related to its nuclear program after years of cooperation that included the supply to Iran of nuclear fuel for a 1,000-megawatt light-water nuclear power reactor.
One source said that since Russia was dependent on Iranian drones in its war on Ukraine, there was concern that it would be willing to cross red lines, previously observed, regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The Times report comes as Iran was preparing to resume negotiations with the so-called E3 group - the UK, Germany and France in Geneva, to reach a new nuclear deal. One such meeting was scheduled for Monday and the paper said that its revelation of the secret meetings held by Iranians and Russians, would likely raise more concern over Iran's real intentions, in the West.
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the U.S., such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war.
Iran reveals an underground missile storage facility
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October that Moscow and Tehran intended to sign the strategic partnership pact which would include closer defense cooperation.
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The United States accused Tehran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, and imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in delivering Iranian weapons. Tehran denies providing Moscow with the missiles.
Iran announced on Monday that it has received a new shipment of 1,000 UAVs, in what can be considered a signal to Israel and the United States should they be considering an attack on its nuclear facilities after U.S. president-elect Trump takes office.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency said the drones have been deployed to different sites around the country. They have the capability of traveling to a distance of over 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) and cause severe damage. They have the ability of autonomous flight and can penetrate advanced defense systems and will not only increase Iran's ability to defend its borders but also attack targets at a great distance.