Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to enhance cooperation. Historically, Russia and Iran were rivals, with conflicts in the 18th and 19th centuries and tensions during the Cold War. Relations improved after the USSR’s collapse in 1991, with Russia becoming a key trade partner and supplier to Iran. Russia also built Iran’s first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, operational in 2013, and agreed to construct two more reactors.