A senior Russian security official arrived in Tehran on Monday to meet with Iranian leaders, as Iran prepared to respond to Israel’s assassination of a Hamas political leader on its soil last week, threatening to reignite a regional conflict- The New York Times
Russian official Shoigu met with Iran ‘s new president , Massoud Peseshkian, and the commander of the Iranian armed forces , Maj.Major General Mohammad Bagheri, who is in charge of planning military strikes against Israel.
Shoigu, a former defense minister, is closely associated with President Putin, also met with the Secretary of Iran ‘s Supreme National Security Council.
Shoigu ‘s visit emphasizes the close alliance between Iran and Russia, which has been strengthened since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with military drones, and the two countries recently signed an agreement to expand military and intelligence cooperation.
According to Iranian media, Iran has requested advanced air defense systems from Russia in preparation for a possible war with Israel.
Two Iranian officials with knowledge of the war planning, one of whom is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed the request and said that Russia had already begun delivering advanced radars and air defense equipment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the aid publicly.
Iran ‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike against Israel after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion at his guest house during a visit to Iran for the inauguration of the new president.
U.S. and Israeli officials have said they expect a major and coordinated attack on Israel by Iran and its allied militant groups in the region. These groups , known as the”axis of resistance ,” include Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Iranian state television showed Shoigu and General Bagheri greeting each other, holding a personal meeting, and then participating in a large conference table meeting with members of the Russian delegation and Iranian military officials.
“We are ready for full cooperation with Iran on regional issues,” Shoigu said, according to Iranian state media.
General Bagheri told Shoigu that relations between their countries are”deep, long-term and strategic” and will only expand under the new Iranian government, according to Iranian media reports.
Despite the fact that Russia has economic and cultural ties with Israel-a significant number of Russian Jews live in Israel-analysts say that Russia cannot afford to refuse Iran’s requests for help, as it is heavily dependent on Iranian drones in Ukraine.
“If the Iranians are asking the Russians for air defense, they are playing their cards right,” said Colin P. Clark, director of policy and research at Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consultancy. “The question is how the Russians will be able to reassure Tehran without destroying their relations with Israel.”
A senior Russian security official arrived in Tehran on Monday to meet with Iranian leaders, as Iran prepared to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a Hamas political leader on its soil last week, threatening to reignite a regional conflict.
Russian official Shoigu met with Iran ‘s new president , Massoud Peseshkian, and the commander of the Iranian armed forces , Maj. Gen.Major General Mohammad Bagheri, who is in charge of planning military strikes against Israel.
Shoigu, a former defense minister, is closely associated with President Putin, also met with the Secretary of Iran ‘s Supreme National Security Council.
Shoigu ‘s visit emphasizes the close alliance between Iran and Russia, which has been strengthened since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with military drones, and the two countries recently signed an agreement to expand military and intelligence cooperation.
According to Iranian media, Iran has requested advanced air defense systems from Russia in preparation for a possible war with Israel.
Two Iranian officials with knowledge of the war planning, one of whom is a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed the request and said that Russia had already begun delivering advanced radars and air defense equipment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the aid publicly.
Iran ‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike against Israel after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion at his guest house during a visit to Iran for the inauguration of the new president.
U.S. and Israeli officials have said they expect a major and coordinated attack on Israel by Iran and its allied militant groups in the region. These groups , known as the”axis of resistance ,” include Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
