In St Petersburg, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed Tehran’s appreciation for Russia’s diplomatic support and emphasized the importance of its strategic relationship with Moscow after discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Araghchi highlighted that recent events have reinforced the depth of the Iran-Russia partnership, describing Russia as a crucial ally during challenging times for the Islamic Republic. He stressed that Iran has steadfast friends like Russia who stand by it in difficult moments.
These comments followed a meeting with Putin, who voiced his backing for Iran and pledged that Moscow would do everything possible to promote peace in the region. Putin praised the Iranian people for their courageous defense of independence and sovereignty, expressing hope that Iran would overcome its current difficulties and that peace would prevail.
Putin also reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to continue efforts aimed at restoring stability in the Middle East, particularly in light of recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which Russia has strongly condemned. Moscow has repeatedly offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington, including proposing the storage of Iran’s enriched uranium as a measure to reduce tensions—a suggestion rejected by the United States.
Araghchi briefed Putin on regional developments and thanked Russia for its political support, noting that recent events have demonstrated the strength of their strategic partnership. the Kremlin, Putin reiterated Russia’s commitment to deepening the 20-year strategic alliance with Iran, formalized last year. He also mentioned receiving a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader and asked Araghchi to convey Moscow’s dedication to further strengthening bilateral ties.
Russia is currently constructing two additional nuclear reactors at Iran’s Bushehr power plant and has expanded defense cooperation, including supplying Shahed drones for use in Ukraine, with Russia now localizing their production.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow supports ongoing US-Iran dialogue and cautioned against any return to military confrontation, describing it as detrimental to all parties involved.
Separately, mediators from Pakistan confirmed that efforts to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran are ongoing and have not been derailed despite escalating regional tensions.
