Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian deepened military ties between their countries on Friday by signing a 20-year strategic partnership that is likely to worry the West.

The agreement is focused more on trade than military issues, but it will bring two countries with a shared desire to challenge the West closer together.

Russia may supply up to 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year to Iran, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, as Moscow diversifies its gas flows after a dramatic fall in exports to Europe.

President-elect Donald Trump's designate to serve as his Ukraine and Russia envoy says the U.S. must reapply the maximum pressure campaign and the Iranian people have a chance for a new future.

Iran's leader made the claim less than a week before the president-elect returns to the White House. In his first term, Trump took a tough line on Iran.

(Reuters) - Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran on Friday that follows similar pacts with China and North Korea. All three countries are adversaries of the United States, and Russia has used its ties with them to help blunt the impact of Western sanctions and boost its war effort in Ukraine.

The presidents of Russia and Iran have held talks in the Kremlin on Friday before the signing of a broad cooperation pact between the two countries

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday signed a 20-year strategic partnership treaty that includes closer defence cooperation, something likely to worry the West.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vehemently denied any plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump following the Justice Department’s November charges against three individuals involved in a murder-for-hire case targeting the Republican.

Elon Musk was instrumental in securing the release of a young Italian journalist who was jailed in Iran on trumped-up charges, it was reported on Thursday.