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Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iranian leaders that Moscow remains a “loyal friend and reliable partner” to Tehran, the Kremlin said Saturday.
Putin sent Nowruz greetings to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian, wishing the Iranian people to overcome “harsh trials with dignity.”
The Kremlin said Putin stressed that “in this difficult time Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran.”
The extent of Russia’s support remains in dispute, with some Iranian sources saying they have received little real help from Moscow during what has been described as Iran’s biggest crisis since the 1979 revolution.
Russia has said U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have pushed the Middle East “into the abyss” and triggered a major global energy crisis.
Putin also condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader as a “cynical” murder.
A Politico report said Moscow proposed a deal to Washington under which Russia would stop sharing intelligence with Iran if the United States halted intelligence support to Ukraine, but Washington rejected the idea.
The Kremlin dismissed the report as fake.
Despite close ties, the partnership between Russia and Iran does not include a mutual defense clause, and Moscow has repeatedly said it does not want Iran to develop an atomic bomb, warning it could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Russia has also benefited from higher oil prices triggered by the war.
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