Pezeshkian Delivered Khamenei's 'Special Greetings' to Putin and Reported on Work

Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, delivered Ali Khamenei's 'special greetings' to Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, during a meeting on Friday, January 28. Pezeshkian stated that the Supreme Leader emphasized the expansion of relations between the two countries before his departure to Russia, noting that ties in the 'economic and cultural' sectors are growing. He added that the signing of a comprehensive strategic plan would strengthen bilateral relations in the areas of 'security, economy, and culture.' Pezeshkian described the Iran-Russia relationship as 'vital, sensitive, and strategic' and reiterated the Islamic Republic's determination to expand this cooperation. According to him, the two countries could finalize agreements related to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran. During this meeting, Putin, while wishing the best for Khamenei, reminded Pezeshkian that bilateral issues are 'under the considerations and control' of the Supreme Leader. Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow after a trip to Tajikistan to sign a 'long-term cooperation agreement' between the two countries, as reported by Iranian state media. This visit comes amid recent social media criticisms regarding Iran's dependency on Russia. For instance, Siyavash Rezaiyan wrote on social media platform 'X': 'One of the most important news for Iranians these days is the twenty-year contract with Russia. I believe the terms of this contract resemble the official colonization of Iran by Russia...' Meanwhile, Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Moscow, announced the signing of the 'long-term strategic cooperation agreement' during Pezeshkian's visit, stating to the TASS news agency that this agreement would not include a 'mutual defense' clause, similar to agreements Russia has with North Korea and Belarus. He emphasized that the nature of this agreement is different, as countries like Belarus and North Korea have established cooperative relations with Russia in areas that Iran has not engaged in, as it does not wish to join any bloc. This is in the context of Iran having delivered thousands of drones to Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which have been used in attacks across various regions in Ukraine. Ukraine had previously stated that since the start of the war, Russia has utilized over 8,000 drones made by the Islamic Republic in its operations. For the first time two years ago, Kyiv accused the Iranian government of supplying these drones to Russia. The Times reported on January 13 that Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic, has been making secret flights to meet with senior Russian officials. The report indicated that these behind-the-scenes efforts aim to garner Russian support for Iran's nuclear program and to enhance Iran's air defense capabilities.