Kremlin Says No Date Yet for Iranian President’s Visit to Russia

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, September 16, 2024. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Majid Asgaripour via Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, September 16, 2024. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Majid Asgaripour via Reuters
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Kremlin Says No Date Yet for Iranian President’s Visit to Russia

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, September 16, 2024. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Majid Asgaripour via Reuters
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, September 16, 2024. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Majid Asgaripour via Reuters

A visit to Russia by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is being prepared, but there is no clarity yet on when it will take place, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Peskov said it was unclear whether the visit would happen this year, but that a date for the trip could be agreed very quickly if necessary.

"Such a visit is being prepared, preparations are underway," Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing when asked about the matter.

Moscow is preparing to sign a new bilateral treaty with Tehran that will include closer defense cooperation, the kind of treaty that Russian President Vladimir Putin often signs in person with his foreign counterparts.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state television in late October the treaty would be signed "in the near future".

Moscow signed a similar "comprehensive" treaty with North Korea, which includes a mutual defense clause, in June.

Military ties between Moscow and Tehran are a source of concern to the West as Russia prosecutes its war in Ukraine and turns to allies like Tehran for support.

President Vladimir Putin and Pezeshkian discussed the escalating situation in Syria by phone on Monday, with the latter vowing cooperation with Moscow to help resolve the crisis.



Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China
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Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

Monsoon Floods Sweep Away 18 People and Main Bridge Linking Nepal to China

A mountain river flooded by monsoon rains swept away the main bridge connecting Nepal with China on Tuesday, leaving 18 people missing, Nepali authorities said.

Rescue efforts were underway and an army helicopter was able to lift people stranded by the flooding. Police said 95 rescuers were already at the area and more are expected to join in rescue efforts, The Associated Press reported.

The flooding on the Bhotekoshi River destroyed the Friendship Bridge at Rasuwagadi, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Kathmandu.

Several houses and trucks that were parked at the border for customs inspections also were swept away. Hundreds of electric vehicles imported from China had been parked at the border point.

The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The Chinese along with eight Nepalis were workers at a Chinese-assisted construction project on the Nepali side of the border, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, quoted by state media.

The destruction of the bridge has halted all trade from China to Nepal through this route. The longer alternative is for goods to be shipped from China to India and then brought overland to Nepal.

Monsoon rains that begin in June and end in September often cause severe flooding in Nepal, disrupting infrastructure and endangering lives.