Vladimir Putin welcomes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian before their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, 23 October 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHEMETOV / POOL

Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are due to sign a strategic partnership agreement in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin announced on Monday.

The news comes a day after The Times reported that Iran had been conducting secret shuttle diplomacy with Russia to bolster its military and defence capabilities in recent months, despite the fact that Tehran is also currently engaged in a fresh round of talks with the West intended to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

According to The Times, Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made multiple trips to Moscow to meet with Russian officials late last year, as Tehran attempted to negotiate Russian assistance with its nuclear programme and air defences.

Revelations of covert meetings with Russian officials could raise concerns over Tehran’s intentions and potentially cast a shadow over the talks between Iran and the West being held in Geneva Monday and Tuesday, The Times said.

While the details of the agreement are not known, Iranian diplomatic sources told Russian business daily Kommersant that cooperation in the field of security and defence would be a priority.

In June Russia signed a similar strategic partnership agreement with North Korea during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin, paving the way for a military alliance between the two countries that has already seen an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops deployed to fight alongside the Russian military in Ukraine.