MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia is ready to strengthen and expand its cooperation with Iran across all sectors, underscoring growing alignment between the two countries amid heightened tensions with the West.
Russia maintains strong ties with Tehran and has condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year, which were justified by claims of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran, however, denies pursuing nuclear arms.
Asked by reporters how Russia saw the development of events around Iran’s nuclear program and if Moscow would deepen ties with Tehran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
“Russia is definitely ready to expand cooperation with Iran in all areas. Iran is our partner, and our relations are developing very dynamically.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused European countries of placing “excessive pressure” on Iran over its nuclear programme, describing the situation as “very complicated.”
A Russian envoy is scheduled to meet on Monday with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Ali Larijani—just days after Larijani delivered a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.
In January, Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic partnership agreement, though the deal does not include a mutual defense clause. Moscow maintains that its military cooperation with Tehran is legal, while Iran has supplied Russia with drones used in its war against Ukraine.
Russian state nuclear energy giant Rosatom signed a $25-billion deal last month with Iran to build four nuclear power plants in the country.
