Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled to meet in Russia on January 17 to finalize and sign a long-awaited comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, the Kremlin announced on Monday. This agreement comes as Iran edges closer to a pivotal point in its pursuit of nuclear capability.

The Kremlin’s statement outlined that the two leaders would explore avenues to further deepen their cooperation, including in areas such as trade and investment, transportation and logistics, and humanitarian aid. Putin and Pezeshkian will also discuss various regional and global concerns, the Kremlin added.

This announcement follows a report from the London Times, which revealed that Iranian officials had been visiting Russia on diplomatic missions aimed at strengthening Iran’s military capacities.

The report indicated that Ali Larijani, a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made secret trips to Moscow to meet with senior Russian officials. The purpose of these meetings was reportedly to secure Russian support for Iran’s nuclear program and for the replenishment of its aerial defenses, which were damaged by Israeli attacks late last year.

The Times report further claimed that according to Western intelligence sources, Tehran has been requesting Russia’s assistance with its nuclear program after years of cooperation, including Russia supplying Iran with nuclear fuel for a 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor.

One source suggested that since Russia has become reliant on Iranian drones in its conflict with Ukraine, there is concern that it may be willing to overlook previous red lines regarding Iran’s nuclear aspirations.

This revelation comes at a time when Iran is preparing to resume nuclear negotiations with the E3 group—comprising the UK, Germany, and France—in Geneva, aiming to forge a new nuclear agreement. The Times speculated that the disclosure of the secret Russian-Iranian meetings could heighten concerns in the West about Iran’s true nuclear intentions.

Since the onset of the Ukraine war, Russia has fostered stronger relationships with Iran and other nations opposed to the U.S., such as North Korea. In October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Moscow and Tehran planned to sign the strategic partnership agreement, which would include enhanced defense cooperation.

In September, the United States accused Tehran of supplying Russia with short-range ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine and imposed sanctions on ships and companies involved in the delivery of these Iranian weapons. Tehran, however, denied the accusations.

On Monday, Iran announced the receipt of a new batch of 1,000 UAVs, signaling a potential message to both Israel and the United States, particularly if they are considering actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, the drones have been distributed across various sites in Iran. These UAVs have a range of over 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), making them capable of causing significant damage. With autonomous flight capabilities, they can penetrate advanced defense systems, enhancing Iran’s ability to defend its borders and strike distant targets.

{Matzav.com}