Russia announces meeting with Iranian president amid rising Middle East tensions

Russia announced on Sunday that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is scheduled to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Monday.

The announcement follows Russia’s condemnation of Israel’s “political murder” of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

According to the Russian government statement, Mishustin will engage in talks with Pezeshkian and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. The discussions will cover the “full range of Russian-Iranian cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.”

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The talks will also focus on major joint projects, particularly in “transport, energy, industry, and agriculture.”

Meanwhile, Western governments have accused Iran of providing drones and missiles to Moscow for use in its war against Ukraine—a charge Tehran has consistently denied.

President Pezeshkian is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Russia next month for the BRICS summit.

The visit to the BRICS summit in the Volga valley city of Kazan from October 22 to 24 will be Pezeshkian’s first to Russia since he took office in late July.

The grouping earned its name from the initial letters of the five members who joined in 2009 – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – but has since expanded to include some Middle Eastern countries, including Iran.