Putin holds talks with Raisi

TEHRAN, July 19 (BBC): Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Iran for only his second foreign trip since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February.

Mr Putin met with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. He will meet Iran's supreme leader and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later.

Grain exports, Syria and the Ukraine conflict are on the agenda.

The visit is a chance to deepen ties with Iran, one of Russia's few remaining international allies.

It follows allegations by US officials last week that Tehran was planning to supply Russia with hundreds of drones for its war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Russian energy giant Gazprom signed a new development deal worth $40m (£33m) with Iran's state oil company.

Following his meeting with Mr Raisi, Mr Putin said relations between Iran and Russia were "developing at a good pace".

Mr Putin said the two countries are strengthening ties on areas such as international security, trade and "the settlement of the Syria crisis".