Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday amid Tehran’s continued supply of weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine and rising concerns over escalating war against Gaza and Lebanon by Israel, Associated Press reported.
The two leaders discussed Middle East issues during an international forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, according to Russian state media.
Moscow and Tehran previously signed a $1.7 billion agreement for Iran to supply drones to Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The US has also accused Iran of transferring short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, the news agency reported.
This week, Ken McCallum, head of Britain’s MI5, accused both Russia and Iran of a “staggering” increase in assassination attempts, sabotage, and other criminal activities in the UK McCallum revealed that 20 “potentially lethal” plots backed by Iran had been disrupted since 2022 and warned that Iran could expand its targets in the UK if Middle East tensions worsen.
During their meeting, Putin noted the close alignment between Moscow and Tehran on global issues and invited Pezeshkian to visit Russia, an invitation which was accepted, according to Tass.
At the forum’s opening, Putin emphasised his desire to create a “new world order” with Moscow’s allies to challenge Western influence.
The forum also included regional leaders such as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the heads of Central Asian nations, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as reported by Associated Press.
Putin is expected to hold further discussions with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, who succeeded his father in 2022.