Dialogue Between Mokhber and Putin on Iran-Russia Cooperation

Iranian state media reported on Thursday evening that Mohammad Mokhber, the head of Iran's presidency, had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, shortly after the announcement of a delay in signing a 'comprehensive agreement' between Tehran and Moscow regarding cooperation between the two countries. The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted the Kremlin as stating that Mokhber and Putin discussed the development and expansion of cooperation between Iran and Russia during this phone call. The report did not provide further details about the conversation. However, the Russian news agency Interfax mentioned that the parties also discussed international interactions, including Russia's presidency of the BRICS group, of which Iran will become a full member in January 2024. According to Interfax, Mokhber congratulated Putin and the Russian people on 'Russia Day,' a national holiday in Russia, and thanked Moscow for its support during the current challenging period for the Islamic Republic of Iran following the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi. On the other hand, Putin congratulated Iranian Muslims on Eid al-Adha, wished for a successful presidential election in Iran, and sent greetings to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Just two days before this phone call, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, confirmed reports about the temporary suspension of the 'comprehensive cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia,' stating that the signing of this agreement would occur after 'administrative issues' were resolved by Tehran. Lavrov stated, 'The text of the new cooperation treaty between Russia and Iran has been fully agreed upon, but it is currently not signable due to some administrative issues related to the Iranian side.' He added, 'For this treaty to be approved and presented for signature to the presidents, the Islamic Republic of Iran needs to undertake a series of legal actions regarding the matters previously stipulated in this treaty.' So far, neither party has provided details about this agreement. In September 2022, during a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi, the two sides announced the signing of a major new agreement between Moscow and Tehran. In recent years, especially after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia and Iran have expanded their relations, with the Islamic Republic providing many suicide drones to Russia, which has led to increased sanctions against Tehran.