Putin talks with Iran, Turkey in Tehran

Iran rolled out the red carpet Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped out of a plane and onto the tarmac in Tehran. The Iranian oil minister met him there, and then Putin went to a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Raisi and Putin talked about increasing their ties in energy, transportation, and trade, the IRNA news agency reported. The White House has alleged that Iran is supplying Russia with drones for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, but Iran has not directly responded to the allegations. Iran and Turkey also signed preliminary agreements over investments and business.

Why is a NATO country talking with Russia? Turkey is one of the only countries in NATO that has not placed sanctions on Russia. Turkey has sent drones to Ukrainian forces, but it also is relying on Russian trade to uphold its currency amid inflation. Erdoğan has also tried to broker talks settling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and getting grain out of the country. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard interview former Defense Department staffer Robert Wilkie about Iran’s diplomacy on The World and Everything in It podcast.