Putin arrived in Iran to secure weaponised drones and also meet Turkey President

Iranian state TV has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Iran, according to reports from Reuters. It is Putin’s first visit since the start of the war outside the borders of the former Soviet Union, having visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in June.

Earlier this week, the Biden administration said that Iran is preparing to supply Russia ‘up to hundred thousand drones, including those capable of firing missile’.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will meet in Tehran later today to discuss the export of Ukrainian grain, according to a Kremlin aide.

Putin is scheduled to travel to Tehran to meet Erdoğan and Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi as part of the so-called Astana format of talks related to Syria, the Kremlin said last week.

“The issue of Ukrainian grain shipment will be discussed with Erdogan … We are ready to continue work on this track,” Yuriy Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Putin, said on Monday.