As their relations get strained with the West, Iran and Russia are deepening their ties. This month saw two phone calls in less than 10 days between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, multiple high-level visits, and reports on potential sale of Russian Sukhoi fighter jets to Iran in a bid to escape tightening EU and US sanctions. 

Iran has already drawn the ire of its Western foes by delivering combat drones to Russia, which are being used in the latter's war on Ukraine. Tehran has denied this armament, but as evidence mounts of its kamikaze drones crashing in Kyiv, it has become increasingly unable to convince the Ukrainian side of its denials.

At the same, Tehran does not shy away from its long-standing military cooperation with Moscow. Under decades-long Western sanctions, the Islamic Republic's air force has eroded and remains in dire need of an overhaul, which is reportedly being sought through Russia. According to a report earlier this week by the state-funded Press TV, Tehran is close to obtaining 24 advanced Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Moscow, a confirmation of earlier comments in September by army officials who spoke for the first time of those plans being in the pipeline. The report did not address speculation on whether those deliveries would serve as Russia's payment for Iranian drones. But earlier this week, Iranian lawmaker Shahriar Heydari was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying that the order could be at Iran's doorsteps as early as spring.  

According to official readouts from the Kremlin and the Iranian presidential office, Raisi and Putin spoke over the phone twice from Jan. 9-19, with the pair stressing the need "to boost bilateral ties."