Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned recent acts of aggression against Tehran, calling them entirely unjustified and reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to stand by the Iranian people.
According to Al Jazeera, Putin made these remarks while meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow. The Russian leader opened the talks at the Kremlin by assuring that Russia is ready to help Iran face any challenges.
Speaking to reporters, Putin stressed that any attacks or hostile moves against Iran have no legitimate grounds. “Russia is doing everything possible to support the Iranian people,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
In response, Araghchi thanked Putin for speaking out against the US attacks and praised Russia for “standing on the right side of history.” He also conveyed best wishes and greetings from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
State news agency TASS quoted Araghchi as saying that Tehran and Moscow are coordinating closely on how to handle the rising tensions in the Middle East.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Araghchi personally delivered a letter from Khamenei to Putin, seeking further Russian backing in the wake of the recent large-scale US strikes.
Insiders say Iran feels the support it has received so far is not enough and wants Moscow to take a clearer stand against Israel and the United States. However, they did not specify what kind of help Iran hopes to secure.
While the Kremlin confirmed Putin and Araghchi’s meeting, it did not disclose exactly what issues were discussed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the US attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites have escalated the crisis and pushed all parties into a far more dangerous phase. He said it remains unclear whether the strikes caused any radioactive leaks.
Peskov also revealed that President Donald Trump did not inform Putin in advance about the strikes, although the two leaders had previously discussed the possibility of US military action in general terms.
When asked how Russia might respond, Peskov said Moscow has offered to mediate but emphasized that it depends on what Iran wants moving forward.
