Russia's Defense Ministry has said that the country's deputy defense minister, Alexander Fomin, had discussed military cooperation with the commander of Iran's ground forces, Kiumars Heydari, Interfax reported.
State media reported the arrival of an Iranian military delegation in Moscow on Monday.
The two sides discussed issues of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation. "They exchanged views on the issues of bilateral security ... and reaffirmed their intention to deepen dialogue and increase the level of development of contact in the defense sphere," stated the Defense Ministry, according to TASS news agency.
Russia and Iran, both under Western economic sanctions, have forged closer relations in military and other areas since Russia launched its war in Ukraine 18 months ago.
The West has accused Iran of selling large numbers of drones for use against Ukraine, something Tehran denies.
Last week, the Financial Times reported that the US is pushing Iran to stop selling armed drones to Russia as part of discussions on a broader “unwritten understanding” between Washington and Tehran to de-escalate tensions and contain a long-simmering nuclear crisis.
According to an Iranian official and another person briefed on the talks, the US wants Iran to stop supplying drones to Russia, as well as spare parts for the unmanned aircraft.
