A senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader and the Russian president discussed the Middle East tensions and Tehran's atomic program in a meeting in Moscow, a Kremlin spokesperson said, as the two sides prepare for joint naval drills in the Caspian Sea.
Ali Larijani briefed Vladimir Putin on the Iranian officials’ assessments regarding the escalating crisis in the Middle East and developments related to Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian state news agency RIA said citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Sky News reported on Sunday that Iran and the European troika are set to hold nuclear talks next Sunday in Geneva.
In his meeting with Larijani, Putin reaffirmed Russia’s support for a political resolution to concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities and also regional stability, according to Peskov.
Putin’s remarks came almost a month after the end of Israel’s 12-day military campaign against Iran, a conflict that sharpened Tehran’s concerns about future strikes and sparked widespread criticisms in Iran about Russia's alleged failure to support its ally.
Last month, the Russian president told Iran’s foreign minister in Moscow that Israel's "absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran is unfounded and unjustified." However, Putin stopped short of directly calling out the United States or Israel for attacking Iran.
On June 19, the Russian president refused to speculate on the possibility of Israel or the US targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. "I do not wish even to discuss such a possibility," he told Reuters.
One day later, Kremlin spokesman Peskov told Sky News that Russia would react "very negatively" if Khamenei was killed. He also dismissed the idea of a regime change in Tehran, calling it "unimaginable".
"It should be unacceptable, even talking about that should be unacceptable for everyone," Peskov said, in a thinly veiled reference to Washington.
Iran-Russia naval drills
Iran and Russia will begin a joint naval exercise in the Caspian Sea on Monday, July 21, part of a three-day drill aimed at boosting maritime safety and regional cooperation, Iranian state media reported.
The CASAREX 2025 search-and-rescue exercise, hosted by Iran’s Navy, will include units from the Iranian Army and IRGC naval forces, Iran’s national police, and the Russian Navy, with observers from other Caspian littoral states.
Held under the slogan “Together for a Safe and Secure Caspian Sea,” the drill is designed to enhance coordination and operational readiness among coastal nations, IRGC media reported.
