Russian President Vladimir Putin met his new Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian for the first time on Friday, as Tehran is expected to seek Moscow’s help to upgrade its military to counter the threat of attack by Israel.

Iran is almost certain to face military retaliation for a massive missile attack on Israel on October 1, launched in support of its ally Hizbollah. Analysts say that, as part of its deterrence, Tehran is looking to Russian technology such as S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries as well as electronic warfare systems and fighter aircraft.

The meeting, on the sidelines of a gathering of central Asian leaders in Turkmenistan, comes ahead of the expected signing of a strategic agreement between Russia and Iran at a summit in Kazan later this month, which may touch on defence co-operation.