Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed their nations’ strong bilateral ties during a meeting on Friday in Turkmenistan. The leaders praised their “close” alignment on global issues, with Putin emphasising that relations with Iran remain a “priority” for Moscow.
Putin’s remarks come as both countries face extensive Western sanctions, a situation that has brought Russia and Iran closer since the onset of Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2022. Tehran is widely believed to supply weapons to Moscow as part of their deepening partnership.
“Relations with Iran are a priority for us, and they are developing very successfully,” Putin said, underscoring that the two nations share similar views on international events. Pezeshkian echoed these sentiments, describing relations as “sincere” and acknowledging their “similar” stances on the world stage.
Their discussions, held against the backdrop of Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut, also touched on the Middle East’s “difficult” situation. Pezeshkian accused Israel of targeting civilians with support from the US and Europe, as reported by a Russian state TV translation.
The meeting marked the first encounter between the two leaders at a regional summit, with Pezeshkian set to continue talks in Russia during the upcoming BRICS summit later this month. Pezeshkian recently assumed office in late July following his predecessor’s death in a helicopter crash.
