Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian began his official visit to Russia on January 17 by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow's Alexander Garden, ahead of crucial talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Accompanied by a military honour guard and band, Pezeshkian laid a wreath of red roses and white lilies at the memorial and observed a minute of silence for fallen soldiers.

Pezeshkian met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, as central Moscow faced traffic disruptions ahead of high-level talks at the Kremlin.

The Iranian leader, who arrived at Vnukovo-2 airport at 10:19 local time from Dushanbe, is scheduled to hold crucial negotiations with President Vladimir Putin later today. The talks will include both restricted and expanded formats, followed by the signing of several documents and a joint press conference.

The Russian delegation at the prime ministerial meeting included Deputy Prime Ministers Alexei Overchuk and Vitaly Savelyev, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut, and Russian Ambassador to Iran Alexei Dedov.

The ceremony and meeting precede what both sides describe as significant negotiations in the Kremlin, where the leaders are expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.

The new treaty will cement the two countries' status as strategic partners for at least the next 20 years, according to Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali.

However, several observers have noted that the deal between the two countries excludes a mutual defence agreement, unlike other recently signed contracts between Moscow and other countries.

"Moscow attaches great importance to the upcoming signing of this document," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The agreement is expected to define cooperation between the countries across various sectors and elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

The strategic partnership comes as both countries seek to strengthen their alliance amid shifting global alignments.

The treaty will formalise extensive cooperation across multiple spheres, though specific details have not yet been disclosed.