Following the death of Iran's president in a helicopter crash in May, the country scrambled to fill a power vacuum, and lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian was soon appointed president. Following the approval of his full cabinet through parliament last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hopes for stronger ties between the two neighbors. Addressing the fallout from Israel’s war on Gaza remains the most pressing issue for Ankara and Tehran. Both sides have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and are looking to tackle security issues in Iraq and the South Caucasus to secure vital energy and transport links. Turkey and Iran also share an interest and participation in the Chinese- and Russian-led BRICS and SCO blocs, known for countering Western institutions.