Russia-Iran ties in spotlight as Russian PM visits Iran

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Iran this week amid blossoming ties between the two countries. Iran has provided Russia with drones for its war in Ukraine, and Russia has become more closely linked to Iran. The two countries have had decades of ties, but their increasing warmth is due to their shared anti-Western views. Russia’s ties with Iran have also empowered it to be more destabilizing in its regional role, backing proxies to attack Israel.

On Saturday, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali told Iranian state media IRNA that the planned trip by Mishustin was “aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and following up on existing agreements between the two sides.” He said, “This visit is very important and could create significant momentum in Iran-Russia economic relations.”

Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s new president, recently returned from the UN General Assembly in New York, and he used that trip as a diplomatic offensive. “We will witness an expansion of ties with Russia,” the Iranian ambassador said.

Jalali mentioned various files that the two countries are working on. For instance, the CEO of Russia’s state gas company, Gazprom, recently visited Tehran.

“Regarding the comprehensive long-term cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia, he said the Russian foreign ministry has already referred the matter to President Vladimir Putin, who has expressed his willingness to sign the pact,” IRNA noted.

Growth all around

Mishustin met with Pezeshkian on Monday. “The parties discussed the main areas of cooperation and noted the high pace of development of interaction between the two countries. The head of the Russian government mentioned that in seven months, the trade turnover grew by 6.5%. At the same time, the possibilities for deepening partnerships are not limited to this sphere,” a TV BRICS report noted.

According to Reuters, the Russian prime minister will also attend a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Armenia, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

In addition, Iranian Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati held talks with his Russian counterpart, Maxim Reshetnikov, according to Iranian media. IRNA noted that the discussions “focused on strengthening economic ties between the two countries. The two ministers met on Monday afternoon on the sidelines of negotiations between high-level Iranian and Russian delegations in Tehran.”

The two sides discussed the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), an important trade corridor initiative designed to link Iran and Russia. “The delegations also discussed customs issues, Russian investment in Iran’s oil industry, the Rasht-Astara railway project, and enhancing trade routes via INSTC,” IRNA noted.

Seth Frantzman is the author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024) and an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies.