The agreement to ease Russia’s nuclear export ban to Iran came as Putin paid an official visit to Tehran, meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader.
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Putin, on his first visit to Iran since 2007, presented an old edition of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, to Khamenei, the Iranian leader’s website said, publishing photos of the book. “The United States can not ignore Syrians’ vote and choice”, he added.
Iran and Russian Federation have become increasingly allied in Syria providing support that has propped up Assad’s government and forces since an uprising erupted in 2011.
The violence has displaced millions more.
Attention is now focused on stopping Islamic State group jihadists, who previous year seized large parts of Syria before surging into Iraq.
Putin vowed to continue airstrikes in Syria until those responsible for blowing up a Russian airliner over Egypt are punished.
Iran’s nuclear programme remains controversial and is under close worldwide scrutiny.
The Turkmen leader voiced uneasiness about Russian Federation using the Caspian Sea for some of the strikes on Syria, but Putin said using the Caspian would continue “for as long as we see necessary to punish the culprits” behind the plane attack.
Tehran, meanwhile, has provided its Damascus ally with financial and military aid, including advisers from its elite Revolutionary Guards. China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USA also said last week they’re ready to supply Iran with technologies and assistance to implement the accord.
The news agency Interfax cited a Kremlin spokesperson on Monday as saying that Putin and Iran’s Khamenei agreed political decisions should not be imposed on Syria from outside.
Iranian media on Monday reported that Russian Federation also began delivering an advanced S-300 air-defense system that had been on hold for years.
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In a decree published on Monday, President Putin said Russian Federation would support Iranian efforts to export any surplus enriched uranium – that is, above the 300kg limit – by sending raw uranium to Iran in exchange.
