- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 20 Jul 2025 07:46 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted senior Iranian official Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for high-level talks at the Kremlin on Sunday. The meeting, confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and reported by Russia’s state-run RIA news agency, focused on regional instability and Iran’s nuclear program.
During the discussions, Larijani outlined Tehran’s view of the worsening situation in the Middle East, particularly developments linked to its nuclear activities. According to Peskov, President Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to promoting regional stability and supporting a diplomatic, political resolution to disputes involving Iran's uranium enrichment program.
Russia-Iran Strategic Alignment
The rare direct engagement between senior Russian and Iranian officials highlights a deepening strategic partnership. Both nations are under growing pressure from Western powers and share interests in countering US and Israeli influence in the region.
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Iran has reportedly agreed in principle to resume nuclear negotiations with the UK, France, and Germany, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The announcement comes amid rising tensions following Israeli military strikes, backed by the US, on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has since demanded guarantees against future attacks.
US-Israeli Offensive Sparks New Concerns
The joint Israeli-US strikes significantly damaged key nuclear infrastructure but failed to eliminate Iran’s entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The fate of Iran’s centrifuges remains unclear. This has raised alarm in the international community over the potential for renewed nuclear activity.
According to a report by Axios, despite Moscow’s public support for Iran’s nuclear rights, behind closed doors, Russia has reportedly taken a tougher stance. According to an Axios report citing European and Israeli sources, Putin has been urging Iran to agree to a “zero enrichment” policy.
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“We know that this is what Putin told the Iranians,” a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying. This message was also conveyed in Putin’s recent phone calls with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.