Russian Defense Minister Arrives in Tehran for High Level Meetings

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will have meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart and high-ranking officials during Shoigu's official visit to Tehran, according to a source in the Russian Embassy.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran on Sunday where he will meet his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehghan and other high-ranking officials, a source in the Russian Embassy in Tehran told Sputnik.

"He will meet [Iranian President Hassan] Rouhani in an hour. He will also meet his Iranian counterpart and high-ranking officials," the source said.

Russia and Iran stepped up their military cooperation last year after Tehran reached a deal with six world powers to scale back its nuclear research in exchange for an easing of sanctions against it.

With restrictions on international procurement of arms by Iran now eased, Tehran is undertaking a rearmament program for its military, according to earlier statements by Dehghan.

In January, Shoigu and Dehghan signed an intergovernmental agreement on long-term military cooperation in Tehran.