Russia and Iran agree to expand military cooperation
Moscow and Tehran have signed a memorandum on expanding military cooperation between the countries, stated by the commander of the Iranian Navy Hossein Khanzadi during his three-day visit to the Russian capital, reports the news agency Mehr.
"This is the first memorandum of this kind which can be seen as a turning point in the relations between Moscow and Tehran in the military sphere," Khanzadi said.
He added that Russia and Iran have also held talks on the development of military cooperation in the Caspian Sea. According to Khanzadi, a treaty on such cooperation between Iran and Russia is being prepared.
In January, Iran announced that it would hold joint naval exercises with Russia in the Caspian Sea. On July 29, as reported by the Iranian news agency IRNA, Khanzadi announced plans to conduct exercises with Russia in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. According to the commander of the Iranian Navy, the exercises are expected to take place before the end of 2019.