Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, with the two leaders emphasizing deepening political, trade and economic cooperation, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.
Russia did not say when the call took place and made no mention of Iranian arms supplies to Moscow. Russia has stepped up its efforts to build ties with Iran and other non-Western countries since it invaded Ukraine on Feb.
“Several current issues on the bilateral agenda were discussed, with an emphasis on strengthening cooperation in political, trade and economic fields, including the transport and logistics sector,” the Kremlin said.
A top Russian security official met with Iranian leaders in Tehran on Wednesday and the two countries pledged to strengthen ties.
The visit followed accusations from Ukraine and the West that Russia used Iranian drones to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Iran says it sent Russia a small number of drones before the start of the war. Last month, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters that Iran had promised to supply Russia with surface-to-ground missiles.
*Reproduction of this content is prohibited.
