Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced strong support for Tehran in its conflict with the US and Israel as he met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in St. Petersburg on Monday.
The meeting came as Moscow and Tehran underlined the strength of their strategic partnership, with Araqchi saying Iran remained “stable, solid and powerful” despite the war.
Putin also hailed “how courageously and heroically the people of Iran are fighting for their independence and sovereignty,” Russia’s TASS news agency reported.
He said Russia would do everything it could to help secure peace in the Middle East while taking into account the interests of Iran and the wider region.
“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible,” Russian state media quoted Putin as telling Araghchi.
Araqchi said Russia had stood by Iran and pledged to continue the countries’ strategic partnership.
Speaking on arrival in Russia, Araqchi blamed Washington for the failure of talks aimed at brokering a deal to end the fighting, even as a ceasefire between the sides continued to hold, AFP reported.
Iran, Russia need each other more than ever
Iran’s strategic relationship with Russia is now especially important, both diplomatically and militarily. Moscow has helped Tehran during the war with intelligence support while also backing Iran at the UN Security Council.
Araqchi’s visit also included meetings with senior Russian military officials.
Russia has warned that Israel and the US may be regrouping for another round of attacks, making Moscow’s support potentially useful as Iran prepares for a possible resumption of hostilities.
Iran values Russia’s support but does not fully trust it. Tehran sees Moscow as closer to its side than Washington, especially given Russia’s diplomatic backing and wartime assistance, but the partnership remains pragmatic rather than unconditional.
Storing Iran’s enriched uranium
The nuclear issue remains one of the main obstacles in the US-Iran diplomatic deadlock, particularly the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
Moscow has repeatedly offered to store Iran’s enriched uranium as a way to defuse tensions.
Iran has resisted demands to curb enrichment, while President Donald Trump has publicly said Iran must not be allowed to retain a nuclear weapons capability.
The issue was likely discussed during Putin’s meeting with Araqchi, as Moscow again positioned itself as a possible mediator in the crisis.
It was Araqchi’s first visit to Russia since the start of the Iran war.