Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Iran on Tuesday on his second foreign trip since launching an invasion of Ukraine in February.
Mr Putin will meet with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A Turkish official said grain exports to Syria and Ukraine would be discussed in Tehran.
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the Russian leader has limited his international travels to former Soviet states.
In June, Mr Putin made his first international visit since February, when he visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, both former members of the Soviet Union now led by authoritarian rulers and Russian allies.
Tuesday’s visit will allow Mr Putin to deepen ties with Iran, one of Moscow’s few remaining international allies and a fellow target of Western economic sanctions.
“The contact with Khamenei is essential,” Yuri Ushakov, Mr Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, told a media briefing on Monday. “A trusting dialogue has developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda.”
Turkey and Russia have backed opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and have been searching for ways to reduce the violence in recent months.
But the meeting comes amid Turkish threats to launch a fresh offensive in northern Syria against US-backed Kurdish militants, a move which both Iran and Russia oppose. The operation is part of Mr Erdogan’s plans to create a 30km (20 miles) safe zone along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Last week, the UN Security Council agreed to reauthorise cross-border deliveries of aid to rebel-held Syria for six months after Russia had initially blocked a proposal for a one-year extension.
Ankara has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow since Mr Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, with Mr Erdogan’s government seeking to play the role of mediator.
