Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Moscow on Thursday bearing a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin as tensions between Tehran’s nuclear programme and fresh threats by the United States rose.
The diplomatic gesture follows recent negotiations between Iran and the US in Oman that both sides hailed as constructive. President Donald Trump, however, has continued issuing threats, such as bombing Iran and imposing sanctions on third-party nations buying Iranian oil unless Iran signs a nuclear deal. The US has also added more warplanes to the area.
Araqchi said his trip to Moscow was to update Russian authorities on the nuclear negotiations. In an interview with Iranian state media, he reiterated Iran’s years-long coordination with its friends such as China and Russia on nuclear affairs. “It’s a good time to keep having these consultations with our Russian friends,” he said.
Putin received Araqchi at the Kremlin after the letter was delivered. While the contents of Khamenei’s letter remain undisclosed, it reportedly addressed both regional developments and bilateral cooperation.
Western nations accuse Iran of enriching uranium beyond civilian needs, approaching levels suitable for nuclear weapons. Iran denies these allegations, maintaining that its program is peaceful and legally protected.
Russia, Iran’s prime ally, has traditionally supported Tehran’s nuclear objectives under global compacts and, more recently, signed a 20-year strategic cooperation agreement with Iran, leaving out mutual defense. In alignment with Iran in Syria and in military transactions, Moscow is, however, still cautious about fanning nuclear tensions in the Middle East.
Though Putin has a conciliatory relationship with Khamenei, the Kremlin has been insistent that any military intervention against Iran would be unacceptable. When asked whether Russia would monitor Iran’s enriched uranium supplies as part of a proposed agreement, Kremlin officials refused to comment.
