At the request of Iran, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu came to Tehran today for visits with military leaders and a meeting with the new head of state, President Masoud Pezeshkian. Shoigu also met with Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Akbar Ahmadian and the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. Shoigu was last in Iran in September when he was still Russian Defense Minister. According to Reuters, Russia has supplied Iran with military equipment, including with powerful surface-to-surface missiles.
During the visit, issues of Russian-Iranian cooperation in the field of security in bilateral and multilateral formats were discussed, in particular within the framework of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The parties noted the growing exchange of delegations.
In his address on July 13, Pezeshkian called Russia a valuable strategic ally and neighbor with which he plans to expand cooperation, including within the framework of BRICS, the SCO, and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that General Bagheri told Shoigu that the relations between their two countries are “strategic, deep and long-term, and will not be disrupted by the change of governments.”
