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Iran DM discusses cooperation with China, Russia
According to the Russian state news agency RIA, the goal of the meeting between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was to strengthen the commitment of both nations and bolster military and technical collaboration.
Shoigu reportedly conveyed Moscow’s readiness to deepen ties with Tehran in the realm of military and technical cooperation. Shoigu emphasized the importance of fostering closer strategic alignment between the two nations.
The Iranian official also held a separate meeting with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to enhance military cooperation, also conferring on regional issues.
Ashtiani hailed China’s stance on the ongoing developments in the region and its condemnation of Israel’s airstrike against Iran’s diplomatic premise in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month.
It is necessary for Iran and China to boost cooperation and convergence to solve security issues in the region and across the world, the Iranian defense chief said.
On April 1, the Israeli regime carried out terrorist airstrikes on the consular section of Iran’s embassy in the Syrian capital, which killed two generals of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as well as five of their accompanying officers.
In retaliation, the IRGC targeted the occupied territories on April 13 with a barrage of drones and missiles. The retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise, inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Chinese defense minister, for his part, slammed Israel’s attack on Iran’s diplomatic premises in Syria, which he said violated international law.
China supports Iran’s legitimate right to respond to Israel, Dong added.
In recent years, geopolitical shifts and the emergence of new security threats have prompted Moscow, Tehran and Beijing to reassess their strategic priorities and explore avenues for collaboration.