Vladimir Putin has said Iran passed up a Russia’s offer to work together on air defence and said anti-air systems were not covered under the strategic partnership Moscow and Tehran signed in January.

Putin, Russia’s president, said in a televised interview late on Wednesday that the agreement did not cover defence.

“We once proposed to our Iranian friends to work together on anti-air systems, but our partners did not show any great interest,” he said.

“As far as individual supplies are concerned, yes, of course, we made those at the time, but this has nothing to do with the crisis today,” Putin added, without specifying when the offer and past supplies took place.