Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Moscow and Tehran remain in regular and continuous contact regarding a wide spectrum of international concerns, most notably Iran’s nuclear program. He made these remarks during his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China. Their discussion underscored the shared diplomatic engagement between both nations at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.
Earlier at the summit, the SCO issued a pointed warning against any misinterpretation or selective reinterpretation of a United Nations resolution that underpins the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. The organization highlighted that this resolution carries a binding force and cautioned that attempts to undermine it could weaken the legitimacy and authority of the UN Security Council. This stance was firmly laid out in the final declaration of the Tianjin summit.
The matter gained further complexity after Britain, France, and Germany initiated steps to restore UN sanctions on Iran, arguing that Tehran has not been fulfilling its obligations under the nuclear agreement. Their actions came only two months after coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, escalating already existing tensions in the region.
In response, Russia strongly defended Iran, warning that the reinstatement of sanctions would lead to serious and potentially irreparable consequences. The Russian foreign ministry appealed to the European powers to reconsider their course of action to prevent further instability or humanitarian fallout.
Russia’s involvement is of particular significance as it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a signatory to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under this framework, Iran was promised relief from sanctions in return for agreeing to curtail and restrict its nuclear program.
Despite this, the three European powers—Britain, France, and Germany—commonly referred to as the E3, submitted an official notification to the UN Security Council stating that Iran is substantially failing to uphold its commitments to the agreement. This claim was presented in a letter obtained by AFP.
Over the last ten years, Iran and Russia have deepened their collaboration across political, military, and economic dimensions. This partnership has grown even stronger since Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, as Moscow has become increasingly isolated from the West and leaned more heavily on its alliances with countries such as Iran.
