Putin Visits Iran Immediately After Biden Leaves Saudi Arabia... Strengthening Military and Energy Cooperation (Comprehensive)

Banmi Alliance Shows Off "Will Become a Strategic Partnership"
Iran's Khamenei "Must Always Be Wary of Western Deception"
US Authorities "Russia Supplying Weapons via Iran Amid Sanctions" Alert

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left), Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are seen conversing after a trilateral meeting and joint press conference on the 19th (local time) in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Tehran (Iran) = Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iran, a region outside the former Soviet sphere, for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, and held a trilateral summit with the leaders of Iran and T?rkiye (Turkey). This visit, occurring immediately after U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia, is interpreted as a demonstration of anti-American solidarity and a declaration of intent to counter the U.S. Middle East policy. The United States has expressed caution, claiming that Russia, under sanctions, is supplying weapons through Iran.

According to Russian TASS news agency on the 19th (local time), President Putin arrived at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport in the afternoon, held talks with Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, and then paid a visit to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. This visit attracted significant international attention, especially as it took place right after President Biden's Saudi Arabia trip.

President Putin and Supreme Leader Khamenei emphasized their anti-American alliance. Putin stated, "Iran is an important partner for Russia," adding, "We plan to elevate the cooperation between the two countries to the level of a strategic partnership, and a treaty between the countries is also being prepared." Leader Khamenei also stressed, "Iran and Russia must always be wary of Western deceit," and "The two countries pursue mutual interests through long-term cooperation."

The two countries also agreed to further strengthen energy cooperation. On the same day, Russia's state-owned Gazprom and Iran's National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a natural gas development and investment agreement worth $40 billion (approximately 52.3 trillion KRW). According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the agreement covers gas field development, liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline installation, and crude oil product production.

Joining the two leaders in Tehran, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an also participated in the talks, leading to a trilateral summit. The three leaders reportedly discussed common issues such as the Syrian civil war and the transportation of Ukrainian grain.

The U.S. side is wary of the meeting, suggesting that Russia will receive weapons from Iran to be used on the Ukrainian front. According to CNN, U.S. intelligence agencies have confirmed that Russia has secured promises of weapon supplies from Iran, including attack drones, and is preparing to deploy them in combat by the end of this month.

John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said in an interview with CNN, "Russia's request for military assistance from Iran shows how isolated Russia is in the international community."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.