Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to meet his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian for the first time on Friday, as relations between the two sanctioned nations warm and the Middle East braces for Israel’s response to Tehran’s largest-ever missile attack last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met in Turkmenistan on Friday for their first in-person meeting since the latter took office over the summer. The two countries have a growing military relationship that has occurred against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.