Iranian Defense Minister in Moscow for Military Talks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan arrived in Moscow on Monday to hold talks with senior Russian political and defense officials.
Leading a high-ranking defense delegation, Dehqan was officially received by Russia’s Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Igor Makushev at Vnukovo International Airport.
The visit comes at the official invitation of Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.
Enhancing defense, military and technical cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is among the main objectives of the Iranian minister’s visit.
The Iranian defense minister is scheduled to sit down with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin tomorrow, a source said.
The visit comes after an international adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei announced earlier this month that Iran plans to boost defense cooperation with Russia and buy more weaponry from Moscow.
Speaking to reporters in the Russian capital on February 4, Ali Akbar Velayati touched upon recent agreements reached between Tehran and Moscow, and said Tehran is “seeking to purchase more weapons from Russia.”
Iran and Russia in recent years have boosted their cooperation in various defense fields including the supply of military equipment. In the most recent case, Russia started delivering the S-300 missile defense system to Iran in late 2015.
