Russia confirmed on Monday afternoon that after months of preparations and negotiations, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will arrive in Moscow this Friday and sign a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an agreement that has long troubled elements in Israel and the West.
The signing of the agreement comes at a time when the Islamic Republic is very close to breaking out of nuclear weapons, and the Kremlin said in a statement that Putin and Pezeshkian will also discuss ways to further deepen ties between the countries, including in the fields of trade, investment, transportation, and logistics.
The Russian announcement came hours after a report in the London Times that Iran has been repeatedly sending emissaries on secret diplomatic missions in Russia in recent weeks to strengthen its military and defense capabilities.
According to the report, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, travels back and forth between Tehran and Moscow on secret flights to meet with senior Russian officials, in an attempt to obtain Russian assistance for Iran's nuclear program and air defense capabilities, capabilities that reportedly suffered a severe blow in the Israeli attack late last year. The S-300 systems that had protected Iran until then were supplied by Russia.
The Times reported that Western intelligence sources told the newspaper that Tehran is interested in Russian assistance in new nuclear-related areas, after decades of cooperation between them in which Moscow provided Iran with nuclear fuel to operate its heavy water reactor.
A Western intelligence source told the Times that because Russia itself is dependent on the supply of missiles and drones from Iran for its war in Ukraine — a supply that was also ensured by meetings with Larijani in Moscow — "there is concern that it is willing to cross the old red lines when it comes to Iran's nuclear program."
* Ynet contributed to this article.
0 Comments