Iran requests military aid from Russia during Shoigu visit amid fears of regional war

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu held talks with the Iranian leadership in Tehran amid rising fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East, Russian state media reported on Monday.

Images published by the Iranian government showed Shoigu meeting with his counterpart in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian, before later meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the chief of staff of the country’s military, Mohammad Bagheri.

Shoigu’s visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, following the Iranian leadership’s announcement that it plans to “punish” Israel in a retaliatory strike this week following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday.

The New York Times reported on Monday that the Iranian government had requested advanced air defence systems from Russia ahead of its expected strike on Israel, citing officials familiar with the country’s military strategy who said that Russia had begun to deliver advanced radars and air defence equipment to Tehran.

Moscow and Tehran have deepened diplomatic and military ties since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the West having introduced several additional rounds of sanctions on Iran in attempts to stop it supplying Shahed attack drones to the Russian government for use in Ukraine.

Iranian state media reported on Monday that Shoigu had condemned the “cowardly” killing of Haniyeh and said that Russia was prepared to offer “full cooperation to Iran on regional issues” during his visit, while both he and Pezeshkian hailed increasingly close ties between the two countries.

“The common stance and cooperation between Iran and Russia in promoting a multipolar world will undoubtedly lead to the further strengthening of global security and peace”, Pezeshkian said.