Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged on Tuesday to strengthen ties with Russia as Western concerns mount over Tehran’s potential supply of missiles to Moscow for use in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
State media reported Pezeshkian’s commitment during a meeting with Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Secretary of the Security Council, who had just returned from a visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Shoigu, who previously served as Russia’s defense minister, was elevated to the country’s top national security role in May.
Both Tehran and Moscow are subject to extensive Western-led sanctions, a fact that the recently elected Iranian president emphasized was a factor in his administration’s desire to actively pursue deeper cooperation with Russia.
“[Relations] between Tehran and Moscow will develop in a permanent, continuous, and lasting way. Deepening and strengthening relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia will reduce the impact of sanctions,” Pezeshkian stated.
The meeting between Shoigu and Pezeshkian occurs at a critical juncture, as Ukraine urges the US and its NATO allies to supply long-range weaponry to target Russian infrastructure.
Furthermore, new reports have suggested that the Iranian government is providing ballistic missiles to bolster Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine and may also be receiving assistance from Russia in developing its nuclear program.
Despite these claims, Iran has consistently denied sending missiles to Russia, while Moscow maintains that Iran is a vital partner across multiple sectors and that the two countries were close to signing a bilateral security agreement.