Concern in the West: Putin meets Iranian president to sign cooperation agreement
"We have projects in the field of nuclear energy and in other sectors," the Russian leader said. The agreement comes at a time of high tension because Iran is on track to develop atomic weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.
Russian President Vladimir Putin received Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Moscow on Friday, who arrived in the country to sign a cooperation agreement between the two nations.
During the meeting, Putin praised the ties between Moscow and Tehran and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"This is a comprehensive agreement that we have been working on for a long time. We have projects in the field of nuclear energy and in other sectors," Putin said.
Pezeshkian said, "We cooperate in the international arena as well, and after signing this great agreement, relations will be boosted and it will be a signal to move forward. The project of building a nuclear power plant is a good project and I hope we will manage to finalize it," he said.
The Iranian president also argued that "the presence of external actors in our region can only destabilize the situation."
Earlier this week, Moscow announced that the two leaders planned to discuss ways to deepen their relations in various areas, including trade, investment, transport and logistics.
The Kremlin added that this is a pact that has been in development for nearly three years and seeks to regulate bilateral relations in various areas, including the security sector.
Ahead of the meeting between the two leaders, Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalili revealed that "the agreement covers all areas of bilateral relations, taking into account the balance of interests, preservation of sovereignty and respect for the territorial integrity of both countries."
Speaking to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, an Iranian source said that, in addition to the security relationship, the agreement seeks closer trade ties and cooperation in the energy sector.
Iranian officials' secret visits to Russia
The announcement of the agreement, which worries the West, comes at a time of high tension over Iran's near-development of nuclear weapons, and after British newspaper The Times revealed that, in recent weeks, Tehran has been secretly sending representatives to Russia to strengthen its military capabilities.
The report by The Times notes that Alí Larijani, a senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Alí Khamenei, has visited Russia repeatedly with the aim of gaining Kremlin support for Iran's nuclear program and its air defense systems.
It should be noted that, according to several reports, Israel managed to produce significant damage to Iran's anti-aircraft defense systems, which had been supplied by Russia, during a counteroffensive carried out in late 2024.
As a Western intelligence source told The Times, meetings between Larijani and Russian officials in Moscow are also often held for the Iranians to ensure the supply of missiles and drones to Russia, which needs them for its war in Ukraine.
The source added that there is concern in the West that Russia is willing to cross long-standing "red lines" regarding Iran's nuclear program.
The British newspaper's report also comes as Iran was preparing to resume negotiations on its nuclear program with European powers.