Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Ali Larijani, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday in Moscow to discuss the escalating tensions in the Middle East and developments surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
The meeting, held at the Kremlin, comes amid heightened anxiety in the region following recent U.S.-backed Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Larijani, acting as the personal envoy of Khamenei, conveyed Tehran’s assessment of the regional situation to Putin, emphasizing that Iran views the current ceasefire as merely a pause in hostilities and continues to prepare for the possibility of renewed conflict.
During the talks, Putin reiterated Russia’s support for political and diplomatic solutions to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and specifically backed negotiations to address concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. He also condemned the recent Israeli and American strikes on Iran, describing them as “unprovoked” and “unjustified.” These sentiments were previously shared by Putin in a June 23 meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the latter’s visit to Moscow.
Though both sides had confirmed preparations for a formal state visit by Putin to Tehran earlier this year, the plan appears to be on hold due to the current instability and threat of further escalation in the region.
Iran has agreed in principle to resume nuclear negotiations with the E3—France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—but continues to reject direct talks with the United States unless it receives binding guarantees that no attacks will occur during the talks and that Washington abandons its longstanding demand for zero uranium enrichment.
Iranian officials, however, remain skeptical that these conditions will be met. Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh recently stated that Tehran does not trust the ceasefire reached last month and is treating it as an opportunity to prepare for further conflict.
The meeting between Putin and Larijani follows the official activation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Iran and Russia. The agreement marks a significant shift in regional alliances and is expected to deepen cooperation between the two countries across military, economic, and diplomatic domains.
In a sign of this growing partnership, Iran and Russia will launch the CASAREX-2025 naval drills in the Caspian Sea on Monday. The joint exercises will include participants from both nations’ regular and IRGC naval forces and are aimed at enhancing regional maritime security and operational coordination between the two powers.