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The Kremlin on Tuesday denied accusations of insufficient support for Iran during the latest escalation, stressing that Russia had taken a “clear position” in condemning US and Israeli air strikes on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them “unjustified”. He also reminded that in January, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement.
During a speech on Monday, Putin said that Moscow would “try to help the Iranian people” without disclosing details.
Meanwhile, according to Iranian sources, Tehran remains dissatisfied with the actual level of support from Russia.
Kremlin: “Russia has clearly supported Iran”
Commenting on the comparison of the current situation with the events in Syria – where Moscow has in the past refused to deploy additional troops to support the Bashar al-Assad regime – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia has really supported Iran with its clear political position.”
He added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi praised this position during his meeting with Putin.
At the same time, Peskov noted that it is too early to draw conclusions about the extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities: “Some information is coming in, but no one has a full understanding of the situation yet.”
Regarding reports of an alleged letter from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Putin, transmitted via Arakchi, Peskov denied this information: “The fact that there were oral communications from the Iranian leadership is true. But the fact that it was a written message is not.”
Kremlin welcomes truce
Separately, Peskov commented on US President Donald Trump’s statement about a complete ceasefire between Iran and Israel, which could end the 12-day armed conflict:
“If a ceasefire has indeed been reached, we welcome it,” the Kremlin spokesman said, stressing Qatar’s role in mediation.
He recalled that Moscow has been calling for a cessation of hostilities since the first days of the conflict: “This is exactly what Russia has been calling for since the beginning of this crisis. So, yes, this is to be welcomed, and we hope that the ceasefire will be sustainable.”
