Russia seeks renewed Middle East alliances amid heightened tensions

Former Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu appeared in Tehran on Monday. According to the Russian news agency Interfax, which is cited by Reuters, he is scheduled to hold talks with Iranian leaders, including President Masud Pezeszkian.

Interfax also notes that Shoigu, Russia's defence minister for many years before being appointed Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation in May, is set to meet with the President and the Chief of General Staff.

As Reuters recalls, Shoigu's visit takes place during significant tension in the Middle East. At a Monday press conference in Tehran, Iranian MFA spokesperson Naser Kanaani stated that Iran does not seek escalation in the region but must "punish" Israel to prevent further destabilization.

Kanaani emphasized that "punishing" Israel for the attack, in which the political wing leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed last week in Tehran is "necessary." Iran supports and finances the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, alongside other anti-Israel militant groups.

Kanaani stated: "The enhancement of stability and security in the region will be achieved by punishing the aggressor and establishing deterrents against Israel and its adventurism."

Russia has been tightening its ties with Iran since the beginning of the war with Ukraine. In February, Reuters reported that Iran supplied Russia with a large number of ground-to-ground ballistic missiles. In June, the US conveyed that Russia appears to be deepening its defence cooperation with Iran and received hundreds of single-use attack drones, which it used against Ukraine, a claim Moscow denies.

Last week, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which took place on Wednesday in Tehran.