Putin to Iran: You are fighting Courageously for Independence and Sovereignty
Juan Cole 04/28/2026
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg for 90 minutes as part of his attempt to widen the grounds of diplomacy toward ending the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
Putin noted that he had received a communication from Iran’s clerical Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, for which he was grateful. Putin said he wanted to “confirm that Russia, just like Iran, intends to maintain our strategic relations.”
Iran and Russia signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iranon January 17, 2025, and it officially came into force on October 2. It covers energy, transportation, and regional organizations, but does not commit Russia to defending Iran if it comes under attack, unlike in the agreement between Russia and North Korea.
Putin added, “We see how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence and sovereignty.” He said he hoped that their courage and determination would take them through this “difficult period” and that peace would now come.
The Russian president concluded, “For our part, we will do everything that meets your interests and the interests of all peoples in the region in order to ensure that this peace is achieved as quickly as possible.”
The pro-government Iranian wire service, Tasnim reported in addition that Putin forthrightly condemned the aggression launched by Israel and the United States on Iran and commiserated with Tehran over the martyrdom of the leader of the revolution (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) and of many high civil and military Iranian officials, along with many civilians in the recent war.
Tasnim says that Putin expressed the determination of his country to strengthen relations with Iran in every field of mutual concern, building on the Joint Strategy agreement, and said that Russia wished to widen the cooperation is several fields.
President Putin welcomes Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg, 4/27/26. Photo courtesy website of presidency of Russia. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Araghchi said he was grateful for the principled and responsible stances Russia has taken against the illegal Israeli-US war on Iran. He asserted that the resistance of the Iranian people to this war of aggression was not only a defense of Iran’s existence but of the principles of international law, including those of national sovereignty and the foundations of humanitarianism. He warned that US lawlessness will not spare any nations.
Araghchi condemned the Trump administration for impeding diplomacy by making unreasonable demands, repeatedly changing its positions, making threats, and continually breaking its promises.
He also pointed to the two instances in the past year when the US attacked Iran during negotiations, as well as what he called naval “piracy” against Iranian commercial vessels.
Some observers suggest that Russia is afraid that Iran will collapse as Syria did, further isolating Russia itself. Russia, which is anti-proliferation, has also expressed a willingness to take Iran’s highly enriched uranium off its hands.