The two leaders have strengthened ties as they face growing dissatisfaction at home and isolation from the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a phone call on Saturday to discuss deepening political, trade and economic cooperation, the two governments said in separate statements.
The Kremlin said the two leaders “touched on several pressing bilateral issues with a focus on how to build cooperation in the areas of politics, trade and economy, including in the areas of transportation and logistics.” .
“They agreed that their corresponding Russian and Iranian agencies would increase their contacts,” the statement added.
The Iranian president’s office said Raisi welcomes “Russia’s desire to strengthen economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic”, especially the development of transport lines in the Eurasian region.
“This shipping route will be an attractive route for the global economy and trade,” Raisi was quoted as saying.
The statement added that Putin expressed his sympathy with the government and the Iranian people for the attack on a Shiite religious temple in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, which killed 15 people and injured 40 others. rice field.
Putin said he condemned all forms of terrorism.
The call came on the heels of talks between senior Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev and Iran’s top security official Ali Shamkhani in Tehran on Wednesday. According to Russian state media,
Iran has faced backlash in recent weeks after it accused Russia of using Iranian-made “kamikaze” drones to attack cities and energy infrastructure.
Iran said last week it had sold its unmanned vehicles to Russia “months before” the war in Ukraine began.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran has “defensive” cooperation with Russia but has not supplied weapons to the Kremlin “for use in the war in Ukraine.”
The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian entities and authorities over drone sales to Russia, while Ukrainian officials have downgraded diplomatic ties.
Tehran has also been at odds with Western leaders over their support for protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody, accusing them of seeking to “violate its sovereignty”. there is
The Kremlin is also facing more and more criticism at home as its armed forces suffer more defeats in Ukraine.
Moscow forces this week withdrew from the city of Kherson, the only provincial capital it has occupied since the invasion began in February. Putin claimed in September that he had “permanently” annexed the southern region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had withdrawn more than 30,000 soldiers across the Dnieper without losing a single soldier, but Ukrainians said the Russians were in chaos as Russian troops took off their uniforms and drowned while trying to escape. explained their retreat.
