The move came after Tehran requested more arms from its ally, Iranian officials told The New York Times, following a visit from a senior ally of Vladimir Putin on Monday.

Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s security council, met with Iran’s president and top security officials as the Islamic Republic weighs its response to the killing of a Hamas leader.

“We are ready to cooperate fully with Iran in various areas,” Mr Shoigu said. Moscow has grown closer to Tehran since the war in Ukraine

Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, thanked Moscow for standing by Tehran in “difficult times” and said he was determined to expand relations with his “strategic partner”.

It comes as Joe Biden, the US president, was told by his national security team that it is still unclear when Iran and Hezbollah might mount an attack against Israel and what it might entail, sources told Axios