MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations and key regional and international developments, as Moscow and Tehran seek to strengthen cooperation amid continuing tensions.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that Lavrov is also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the visit forms part of ongoing consultations and efforts to implement agreements reached between the two countries.
Russia and Iran have expanded their political, economic and military cooperation in recent years, particularly as both face Western sanctions.
In January 2025, Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in Moscow. The agreement covers defence, security, energy, trade and transportation, as well as closer coordination on regional and international issues. However, it does not require either country to provide military assistance to the other in the event of an attack.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said an oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz late Sunday.
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing an IRGC statement, that the explosion hit the vessel’s engine room as it attempted to leave the strategic waterway.
The IRGC alleged that the tanker had switched off its positioning and navigation systems during the voyage and attempted to use a route that Tehran considers unauthorised. The Iranian force accused the vessel of violating maritime regulations and warned that ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf with their identification systems disabled would face a strong response.
The statement did not identify the tanker or disclose whether anyone was injured, or the extent of the damage.
The reported incident follows two similar announcements by the IRGC Navy. On Saturday, it said another supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil had struck a naval mine and caught fire while using an unauthorised route. A day earlier, Iranian authorities reported an explosion and fire aboard another tanker after a suspected mine strike.
The developments have heightened concerns over maritime security in one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.
The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation through the strait, but implementation stalled amid disagreements over security arrangements.
Iran accuses Netanyahu of pushing for renewed war
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to draw the United States into another conflict with Iran.
In a post on X, Araghchi alleged that Netanyahu was attempting to avoid imprisonment by encouraging renewed military action. He also warned Washington against another confrontation, arguing that previous efforts to weaken Iran had failed to achieve their intended outcome.
His comments followed US President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections. Trump praised their cooperation against Iran and warned that Washington might have to take action itself if Israeli voters chose a different leader.
Netanyahu, who has led Israel’s government since late 2022, is facing domestic corruption trials that could result in prison sentences if he is convicted.
