Iran’s navy commander Admiral Shahram Irani took part in Russia’s annual Navy Day ceremonies where President Vladimir Putin reviewed a parade of warships.

Adm. Irani is the commander of the traditional navy as distinct from the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces. The Iranian gesture showed that Tehran is the only solid ally for Moscow amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Iran has delivered hundreds of Kamikaze drones to Russia since mid-2022 that have been extensively used to target cities and infrastructures. European powers and the United States have warned Iran to stop the deliveries and refrain from supplying other weapons. Russia reportedly is seeking Iranian ballistic missiles.

Forty-five ships, submarines and other vessels took part in Russia's annual Navy Day event, a traditional show of military might which takes place in the Gulf of Finland and on the River Neva in St Petersburg. Around 3,000 navy personnel also took part in a parade on land, the Kremlin said.

However, the Russian and Iranian navies are from being able to challenge Western, especially the American navy. The IRGC navy harasses commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf occasionally, but lately the United States has boosted its naval and air power in the region to deter Tehran.

Iran has been negotiating with Western powers over its controversial nuclear program since April 2021, but has refused a compromise draft agreement submitted by the European Union negotiators last August. Since then, it has intensified its military and political cooperations with Russia.