TEHRAN -- An Iranian lawmaker said on Monday that the Western sanctions on Iran and Russia have brought the two sides closer to each other in trade and economy.

Iran and Russia are providing one another with the products they fail to have access to because of sanctions, said Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. Trade between Iran and Russia has witnessed significant growth since President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August 2021, Rezaei noted.