"It is highly unusual that the trip (of Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon) is coinciding with Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani's visit to Moscow, during which he is scheduled to discuss military and technical cooperation between Tehran and Moscow", wrote the conservatives-controlled, English-language daily "Tehran Times".

"Either this coincidence is a blunder on the part of the Russian officials, or Moscow, fully aware of the Iranian opposition to the Zionist (Israeli) regime, is doing this intentionally, which would indicate a double-standard policy adopted by the Kremlin officials", the paper said.

"I don't think that it was planned in advance, but it does emphasize the inconsistency of Russian foreign policy", Andrei Piontkovsky, the director of Moscow's Center of Strategic Research, said of the simultaneous visits.

"President Vladimir Putin is desperately trying to maintain Russia's profile as a great power, so it's very important for him that the Russian flag is present in many conflict zones, even when Russia has nothing to contribute and nothing to gain, like in the Middle East," Piontkovsky said.

Independent defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said Iran and Israel each had reasons to befriend Russia, a turn-round from the Cold War era when the former Soviet Union armed Israel's Arab foes and the Shah of Iran was a close U.S. ally.

"For obvious reasons, Israel feels itself increasingly isolated and believes that Russia will be sympathetic. And Israel needs all the sympathy it can get right now" he added.

Sharon told Russian journalists in Jerusalem on Thursday that his government was nervous about the spread of weapons of mass destruction to states like Iran and its neighbour Iraq.

"During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sharon is also going to discuss the threat caused to Israel by Russia's technological assistance to Iran in developing non-conventional weapons", former Israeli ambassador to Paris Avi Pazner told the French news agency AFP.

The Jewish state accuses Iran, perceived as its most dangerous foe, of attempting to develop a military nuclear programme as well as ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israeli territory.

The Islamic Republic not only rejects the almost defunct Middle East Peace Process and publicly vows its determination to "wipe out the Jewish State from the region’s map", but is also a firm supporter of Palestinian extremist organisations like the HAMAS and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, considered by Israel as the groups behind most of the deadliest terrorist bombing and explosions inside Israel.

Sharon is scheduled to meet President Putin on Tuesday, the Kremlin announced, adding the talks will focus on bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East, avoiding however the Iranian dimension of the talks.

But Itar-Tass news agency said Iran could spend $7 billion-$10b revamping its aging military hardware and that Shamkhani is most interested in planes, attack helicopters, anti-aircraft missile systems, and high-tech rocket systems.

Both Washington and Tel-Aviv accuses Moscow of transferring missile technologies to Iran and expresses concern over Russia’s involvement in the construction of a 1000 Megawatts nuclear powered electricity plant in Bushehr, on the Persian Gulf.

For their part, Iran and Russia rejects the claim, pointing out that the plant is of civilian nature and that experts from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency regularly supervise the works.
Moscow told the United States last year it did not consider itself bound any longer by the secret 1995 deal which forbid it from selling arms to Iran.

The deal, agreed to by then U.S. Vice-President Al Gore and then Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, barred Russia from signing new contracts for Iranian purchases of conventional weapons. Existing contracts were to be completed by 1999.

"The Prime Minister can count on Russian officials to listen with an understanding ear to his concerns on the issue of terrorism, since it also affects Russia. He also wants to strengthen the existing understanding between Israel and Russia, whose importance he has always recognised and which he has visited several times before becoming prime minister", Pazner added.

"The Defence minister is to hold talks with Russian officials on ways of expanding ties within the framework delineated by the presidents of the two countries (in March)" Iranian analysts said.

"Consultations, exchange of views as well as paving the way to resolving security problems affecting the region and removing deterrents to the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region are among the main goals behind the visit", Mr. Khosravi added.

The trip is part of an ongoing rapprochement between the two states. Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev paid a visit to Tehran in December last year which was followed by a visit to Moscow by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in March this year.

The United States, which has renewed its sanctions on Iran for another five years, has been criticized for the move by Russia.

Putin said in March that Russia would resume the sale of "defensive" weapons to Iran, despite U.S. criticism.

"The Iranians, like the Chinese, are mostly looking for licensed production, not for off-the-shelf weapons," said Felgenhauer. Iran's shopping list includes battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, long-range torpedoes, so-called smart mines and the long-distance S-200 anti-aircraft missile.