Iran, Russia sign defense-military agreement

Iran and Russia have signed an agreement to improve cooperation in defense and military arenas.

The agreement was signed by Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu in Tehran on Tuesday following negotiations between the two sides.

The deal stressed the need for strengthening and promoting the level of bilateral military and defense cooperation with regard to the common interests of both Tehran and Moscow.

The two ministers also emphasized the importance of maintaining regional and international peace, security and stability as well as countering all types of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

The Russian defense minister arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, at the head of a delegation of senior officials late on Monday.

Russia and Iran currently enjoy close cooperation in various areas, particularly in the defense sector.

In May 2014, the Iranian defense minister paid an official visit to Russia to take part in an international security conference.

In January 2013, Tehran and Moscow signed an MoU to increase security cooperation between the two countries.

Condemning Israeli strike in Syria’s Golan Heights

In the meeting with his Russian counterpart, Dehqan condemned Israel’s “terrorist move” to kill six fighters of Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah and a general of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in an airstrike in the Golan Heights in Syria.

“The terrorist act by the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Golan Heights was the continuation of the regime’s crimes in Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon and their (Israeli officials’) open support for Takfiri terrorists,” the Iranian minister said.

On Sunday, an Israeli military helicopter fired two missiles into Amal Farms in the strategic southwestern city of Quneitra, close to the line separating the Syrian part of the Golan Heights from the Israeli-occupied sector.

Six Hezbollah fighters, including Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of late top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, and Iranian IRGC General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi were killed in the Israeli airstrike.

Iran-Russia cooperation

Dehqan said Iran and Russia share common views on political, regional and global issues and added that the two countries can make use of their capabilities to display a model of bilateral cooperation.

He said Iran would remain committed to its role in fighting terrorism and providing regional countries with help and would “act responsibly to strengthen regional stability and security.”

He urged regional countries to reinforce unity and sign pacts to battle terrorism, violence and extremism.

SF/HJL/HRB

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