Russia Says It Is Working on a 'Major New Agreement' with the Islamic Republic

On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that the country and the Islamic Republic of Iran are accelerating work on a 'major new intergovernmental agreement.' According to Reuters, the statement did not provide details about this agreement. This news comes at a time when Washington views the increasing political, commercial, and military relations between Moscow and Tehran as concerning. The U.S. has stated that the expansion of military relations between Russia and the Islamic Republic poses a threat to regional stability, pointing to Iran's support for militia groups in the region. Russia stated that the foreign ministers of the two countries agreed in a phone call on Monday to expedite work on the agreement, which is in a 'high stage' of preparation. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a five-hour discussion with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Kremlin. Human rights groups identify Ebrahim Raisi as one of the senior officials responsible for the executions of the late 1980s in Iran. The Kremlin stated last month that Russia and Iran are developing their relations 'including in the field of military-technical cooperation,' but refrained from commenting on the White House's assertion that the Islamic Republic may be considering supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. Iranian officials have claimed that military cooperation with Russia is expanding day by day. Last month, Iranian officials announced that they had finalized arrangements to purchase Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 training aircraft from Russia. This is not the first time that Iranian officials and media have claimed that Iran is close to receiving Sukhoi-35s from Russia, as this claim has been made for a long time. McCall: The Islamic Republic undermines U.S. resolve with proxy attacks. The European Union has sanctioned six individuals and five entities in connection with the Islamic Republic's drone assistance to Russia. Netanyahu criticized the cooperation between Russia and the Islamic Republic and the anti-Israeli positions of Moscow officials during a conversation with Putin. Ukraine claims to have shot down 'eight ballistic missiles' from Russia.