Iran absent from Russia's Victory Day Parade despite aiding Putin's war

Niloufar Goudarzi
Niloufar Goudarzi

Iran International

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, attend a military parade on Victory Day, Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, attend a military parade on Victory Day, Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025.

Iranian drones have fueled Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as the two powers have drawn closer but the Islamic Republic's leaders were absent from the 80th anniversary Victory Day military parade in Moscow, drawing some criticism in Tehran.