Putin Meets Khamenei’s Aide in Moscow for Nuclear Talks Amid Iran–West Tensions

Ali Larijani, a top adviser to the supreme Iranian leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was invited to top-level discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Sunday. According to Russia state-run press agency RIA as well as confirmation by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the meeting was on regional instability and the Iranian nuclear program.

In the negotiations, Larijani presented the Tehran perception on the deteriorating situation in Middle East and especially the changes associated with the nuclear Iran. As stated by Peskov, President Putin underlined that Russia continues to pursue the security of the region and pursues a peaceful, political solution of the conflict associated with the Iranian uranium enrichment program.

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Russian Iran Strategic Alignment

This direct meeting of high ranking Russian and Iranian officials is a rare occurrence, and this indicates the increased strategic collaboration. The two states are also increasingly being pressured by the western powers, and they have a common interest of opposing US and Israeli power in the region.

According to semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has in principle agreed to restart nuclear talks with the UK, France and Germany. The news is after the tension escalates after Israeli military attack, with the support of the US, targeted the Iranian nuclear plants. Iran ever since has insisted on assurances against future attacks.

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New concerns on Israeli offence on US

The Israel-US strikes severely targeted the main nuclear facilities but they did not manage to destroy the entire amount of highly enriched uranium in Iran. It is not certain what will happen to the centrifuges of Iran. This has concerned the global community on the possibility of a new nuclear activity.

Axios report revealed that, although Moscow publicly supported Iran on its nuclear rights, secretly, Russian has been more firm. Axios reported European and Israeli sources said that Putin had been pressing Iran to consent to a policy of zero enrichment.

A senior Israeli official was quoted as saying, it is what Putin told the Iranians. The same message is also expressed in recent telephone conversations of Putin with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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