Putin to shore up evil axis with Iran

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was on his way to Iran for talks aimed at boosting ties between Moscow and Tehran against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

On only his second trip outside Russia since invading Ukraine, Mr Putin (pictured) will meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

The two nations have had close relations for many years but Moscow had been reluctant to forge an outright alliance with Tehran because it worried about damaging its lucrative economic links to the West. Such concerns are now largely irrelevant for Russia, which has overtaken Iran as the world’s most-sanctioned country due to its illegal war.

“This is an important visit for Putin personally,” said Andrey Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council, which advises the foreign ministry. “The Kremlin doesn’t want to allow itself to be isolated.”

The US warned last week that Iran was preparing to provide Russia with hundreds of drones to strengthen its armed forces in Ukraine, but the Kremlin insists military procurement will not be discussed during the talks. Iran has not explicitly denied the US report.

The Javan newspaper, which is linked to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, touted the capabilities of the drones, saying they could be used by Russia to direct artillery fire and destroy Ukrainian military hardware. It suggested that Iran might want unspecified military assistance in return.

In Moscow, a military expert said Russia would welcome the drones to replenish its resources amid the grinding conflict in Ukraine.

Mr Putin’s visit to Iran will provide him with a look at a country many believe could be the blueprint for life in Russia under the West’s sanctions. Almost 900 Western companies have closed their operations in Russia since the start of the war and international flight bans have left it isolated.