Senior Russian Security Official Visits Tehran; Pezeshkian Meets with Shoigu

Sergei Shoigu, a senior security official from Russia, met with the President of the Islamic Republic and his Iranian counterpart in Tehran on Tuesday. This high-ranking Russian official's visit to Iran comes just days after his meeting with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, in Pyongyang. Since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has deepened its relations with the Islamic Republic and North Korea. The United States and its allies, who are assisting Kyiv against Russia, view the growing military ties between Moscow and Tehran and Pyongyang with concern. The U.S. claims that the Iranian government, which previously supplied drones to Russia, has recently provided ballistic missiles to Russia for use in attacks on Ukraine. The Islamic Republic, which had denied sending Shahed-136 drones to Russia, has also denied sending missiles to Russia this time. The Islamic Republic has provided these weapons to Russia despite Moscow taking positions against Iran regarding the Zangezur corridor and the three islands in the Persian Gulf, and failing to deliver advanced Sukhoi aircraft that Iranian media have repeatedly reported as finalized agreements. Iranian officials had stated in 1401 (2022) that the agreement to purchase Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia had been finalized. The shipment of missiles to Russia, which reportedly occurred via the Caspian Sea, led to sanctions against Iran Air by the U.S. and some of its allies. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously stated that the delivery of missiles to Russia during Masoud Pezeshkian's presidency contradicts his claims of improving Iran's economy, claims that Pezeshkian has continuously made during his presidential campaign alongside improving relations with various countries. According to Iranian media, Pezeshkian's office stated in a press release that he told Sergei Shoigu, 'Deepening and strengthening relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia... will reduce the effectiveness of sanctions.' Pezeshkian's claims and contradictions in his first press conference: 'Is the morality police still operating? We don't even have hypersonic missiles.' The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency has stated that he will soon visit Iran for 'important meetings.' Britain has imposed new sanctions against Iran's military industries amid rising tensions between Tehran and the West over military cooperation with Moscow: Pezeshkian is set to meet with Putin.