Iran, Russia vow closer military cooperation on Syria

Russia can use Iranian military bases to launch air strikes against militants in Syria on a "case by case basis”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Reuters on Tuesday.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Moscow on Monday, his first official visit to Russia, with a top-level Iranian delegation, and is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said ahead of the trip that the leaders would discuss "regional issues especially the Syrian crisis, solutions to end it quickly", as well as ways to counter "terrorism and extremism".

Tehran and Moscow are both key allies of the Syrian government, providing crucial military and financial assistance since the war began in March 2011.

Russian jets used an air base in Iran to launch attacks against militant targets in Syria last summer, the first time a foreign power had used an Iranian base since World War Two.

• READ: 'Engage but beware': Dealing with Russia in Syria

The deployment ended abruptly however after some Iranian lawmakers called the move a breach of Iran's constitution which forbids foreign military bases, and the Iranian defence minister chided Moscow for publicising the arrangement.

"Russia doesn't have a military base (in Iran), we have good cooperation, and on a case by case basis, when it is necessary for Russians fighting terrorism to use Iranian facilities, we will make a decision," said Zarif.

Rouhani - accompanied by Zarif and Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and other high-ranking officials - is expected to sign more than 10 economic cooperation agreements with Russia, according to Iranian state media.

Late on Monday Rouhani met Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with the Iranian president saying he hoped his visit would mark a "new turning point" in relations, Russian state media reported. 

The Kremlin said in a statement this month that Rouhani's trip would focus in part on "the prospects of expanding trade, economic and investment ties".

• READ: How Iran justifies its costly Syria intervention at home

In addition to cooperation on Syria, energy and defence ties between Iran and Russia have grown despite meagre trade relations.

Russia is to build nine of Iran's 20 nuclear reactors in the coming years and has also emerged as a long-term arms partner for Iran, supplying Tehran with the S-300 air defence system.

The relationship has blossomed under Rouhani despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil and communism.

Rouhani is looking to boost Iran's economy ahead of elections in May in which he is expected to stand for a second term.