Lavrov to visit Tehran as Iran-Russia ties deepen amid regional tensions

Summary

• Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz late Sunday.
• On Saturday, it said another supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil had struck a naval mine and caught fire while using an unauthorised route.
• A day earlier, Iranian authorities reported an explosion and fire aboard another tanker after a suspected mine strike.

AI Generated Summary

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations and key regional and international developments, as Moscow and Tehran seek to strengthen cooperation amid continuing tensions.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that Lavrov is also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the visit forms part of ongoing consultations and efforts to implement agreements reached between the two countries.

Russia and Iran have expanded their political, economic and military cooperation in recent years, particularly as both face Western sanctions.

In January 2025, Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in Moscow. The agreement covers defence, security, energy, trade and transportation, as well as closer coordination on regional and international issues. However, it does not require either country to provide military assistance to the other in the event of an attack.