<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran on Tuesday for talks with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Kremlin leader's first trip outside the former Soviet Union since Moscow's Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In Tehran, Putin will also hold his first face-to-face meeting since the invasion with a NATO leader, Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss a deal aimed at allowing the resumption of Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports as well as peace in Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>Putin's trip, which comes just days after US President Joe Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia, sends a strong message to the West about Moscow's plans to forge closer strategic ties with Iran, China and India in the face of the Western sanctions.</div><div><br></div><div>"The contact with Khamenei is very important," Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, told reporters in Moscow. "A trusting dialogue has developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda."</div><div><br></div><div>"On most issues, our positions are close or identical."</div><div><br></div><div>Putin will also meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was elected last year.</div><div><br></div><div>For Iran, also chafing under Western economic sanctions and at loggerheads with the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme and a range of other issues, Putin's visit is timely.</div><div><br></div><div>Its clerical leaders are keen to strengthen strategic relations with Russia in the face of an emerging US-backed Gulf Arab-Israeli bloc that could tilt the Middle East balance of power further away from Iran.</div><div><br></div><div>"Considering the evolving geopolitical ties after the Ukraine war, the (clerical) establishment tries to secure Moscow's support in Tehran's confrontation with Washington and its regional allies," said a senior Iranian official, who asked not to be named.</div><div><br></div><div>Emboldened by high oil prices since the Ukraine war, Iran is betting that with Russia's support it could pressure Washington to offer concessions for the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal.</div><div><br></div><div>"We need a strong ally and Moscow is a superpower," said a senior Iranian official, who asked not to be identified.</div><div><br></div><div>Still, Russia's increased tilt towards Beijing in recent months has significantly reduced Iran's crude exports to China - a key source of income for Tehran since US President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018.</div><div><br></div><div>In May, Reuters reported that Iran's crude exports to China have fallen sharply as Beijing favoured heavily discounted Russian barrels, leaving almost 40 million barrels of Iranian oil stored on tankers at sea in Asia and seeking buyers.</div><div><br></div><div>Ahead of Putin's arrival, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Russian gas producer Gazprom GAZP.MM signed a memorandum of understanding worth around $40 billion. Source: Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>