Russian delegation invites Iran's president to visit, Iranian media reports say

A Russian delegation met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Monday, Iranian news agencies said, as the two countries prepared to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement.

The Russian delegation invited Pezeshkian to visit Russia early in 2025, the media reports said. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei earlier said the deal was set to be signed during a bilateral visit in January.

Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the United States, such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war.

The country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October that Moscow and Tehran intended to sign a deal which would include closer defence cooperation.

The Russian delegation to Iran is headed by deputy prime ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelev, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.

"The parties are expected to discuss the joint work of Iran and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the framework of a full-fledged agreement on a free trade zone," Interfax said on Monday.

The United States accused Tehran in September of delivering close-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, and imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in delivering Iranian weapons. Tehran denies providing Moscow with the missiles.