Iranian media have reported that Tehran has requested advanced air defense systems from Russia in anticipation of a potential conflict with Israel. This move comes in response to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in northern Tehran last week.
According to The New York Times, two Iranian officials, including a member of the Revolutionary Guard, confirmed that Tehran has made this request to Moscow. Russia has already begun supplying Iran with advanced radars and air defense equipment.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike on Israel following the assassination of Haniyeh, who was killed in an explosion at his guesthouse while visiting Iran for the inauguration of the new president.
U.S. and Israeli officials anticipate a significant coordinated attack from Iran and its allied militant groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran yesterday, as reported by Russian and Iranian news agencies. His visit comes amid concerns of escalating regional conflict following Haniyeh’s assassination.
Shoigu, who also served as Russia’s former defense minister, met with Iran’s new president, Masoud Bezhkiyan, and Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Mohammad Bagheri, who is leading the planning for military strikes on Israel.
He also met with his counterpart, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Russia condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, with Bezhkiyan describing Russia as an “important strategic ally.”
Shoigu’s visit to Tehran underscores the close alliance between Iran and Russia, which has strengthened since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Iran has supplied Russia with military drones, and the two nations have recently signed an agreement to expand their military and intelligence cooperation.
Despite Russia’s economic and cultural ties with Israel, including a significant Russian-Jewish population in Israel, analysts suggest that Russia cannot refuse Iran’s requests for assistance due to its heavy reliance on Iranian drones in Ukraine.
