Moscow has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other nations hostile towards the U.S. since the start of the Ukraine war. It already has strategic pacts with North Korea and close ally Belarus, as well as a partnership agreement with China.
Moscow has made extensive use of Iranian drones during the war in Ukraine. The United States accused Tehran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine. Tehran denies supplying drones or missiles.
The Kremlin has declined to confirm it has received Iranian missiles, but has acknowledged that its cooperation with Iran includes “the most sensitive areas”.
Russia has supplied Iran with S-300 air defence missile systems in the past and there have been reports in Iranian media of potential interest in buying more advanced systems such as the S-400 and of acquiring advanced Russian fighter jets.
Pezeshkian’s visit to Moscow comes at a time when Iran’s influence across the Middle East is in retreat, with the fall of Assad in Syria and the Israeli pounding of Iran-backed groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The fate of two major Russian military facilities in Syria remains uncertain following Assad’s fall.