Russian dictator Vladimir Putin greeted Iran’s foreign minister in Moscow on Monday with a warm smile as he hailed their “strategic partnership” and vowed to remain a strong ally of Tehran.
Putin welcomed Tehran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, as they discussed the ongoing war in Iran and how Moscow can best provide its support, according to Russian state media.
Putin told Araghchi that Russia “will do everything” that serves Tehran’s interests, Russian state media reported.
“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region to ensure that peace is achieved as quickly as possible,” Putin told Araghchi.
“Last week I received a message from Iran’s supreme leader. I would like to ask you to convey my most sincere thanks for this and to confirm that Russia, like Iran, intends to continue our strategic relationship,” Putin added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that Russia was ready to serve as a mediator between the US, Israel and Iran to secure a peace deal.
Araghchi said the meeting served as a symbol of Russia’s “unshaken support of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The high-profile meeting comes just a month after European intelligence agencies warned that Moscow could be ready to provide drone technology to Tehran after Russia popularized the Islamic Republic’s Shahed suicide drones in the Ukraine war.
While Russia and Iran are in a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, Moscow is not bound by the treaty to provide military assistance to Tehran.
Along with touting Iran and Russia’s partnership, Araghchi went on to mock the US, claiming that “the world’s greatest superpower” has failed to achieve its goals during the war.
“The entire world has been proven that the Iranian people, through their resistance and courage, were able to resist American attacks and American aggression and will be able to endure and survive this period,” he said.
Araghchi’s trip to Russia comes just hours after the Iranian Foreign Minister left Pakistan on Sunday without meeting with America’s negotiation team.
President Trump had ordered the US delegation to stay away from Islamabad due to the previous failed peace talks and Iran’s unwillingness to attend the meetings.
While Trump thanked Pakistan for its work in the mediation efforts, he said the 18-hour trip was too long just for his team to be met with Iran’s lack of cooperation, telling Tehran that they can “call” if they are serious about negotiating peace.
“But again, they know what has to be in the agreement. Very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon — otherwise there’s no reason to meet,”the president added.
With Post wires
