Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived June 22 in Moscow, where today he met with President Vladimir Putin. The two of them appeared together, giving statements, before their meeting started. President Putin said, “The completely unprovoked act of aggression against Iran is without foundation or justification. Russia has long-standing, strong, and trustworthy relations with Iran, and we are committed to supporting the Iranian people through our continued efforts.” He said that he has made calls to Trump, Netanyahu, and the presidents of the U.A.E. and Iran to discuss the crisis.
Foreign Minister Araghchi said that Iran shares close and friendly relations with Russia, “and in recent years, our bilateral ties have taken on a strategic character. We maintain regular consultations with our Russian colleagues on a wide range of global security issues. In the field of Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian Federation has been a valuable partner, building the Bushehr nuclear power plant and supporting us in this area, including in the context of reaching nuclear agreements. Russia has played a constructive role in helping us secure important understandings.
“These acts of aggression by Israel and the U.S. are entirely illegitimate and in violation of international law and established norms. We are now defending our sovereignty and our country, and our defence is fully legitimate.”
There was not yet a readout on the subjects that were discussed in the meeting, at the time of this bulletin.
