According to Iranian officials cited by The New York Times, Russia has commenced delivery of sophisticated air defense and radar equipment to Iran. The move follows a request from Tehran to the Kremlin for the arms, signaling a deepening of military cooperation between the two nations.

This development coincides with a visit from a senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran, where Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed his country’s determination to broaden relations with its “strategic partner Russia.”