By undertaking only his second visit abroad since the February invasion of Ukraine, to Iran, Russian President Vladimir Putin has underlined the importance of Teheran in Moscow’s strategic calculus. Is there a budding alliance between the world’s two most sanctioned countries? Will they also be able to complete the Astara-Rasht-Qazvin railway line linking the two countries through Azerbaijan? Do Russia and Iran have Chinese backing as they deal with sanctions and the fallout of the Ukraine war? Guest: D.B. Venkatesh Varma, former Indian Ambassador to Russia. Host: Amit Baruah, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu Edited by Reenu Cyriac