Putin pledges support for Iran in talks with Araqchi in Russia, says he wants peace soon

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Iranian Foreign ​Minister Abbas Araqchi in St. Petersburg on Monday and told him ‌he hoped the Iranian people would weather what he described as a “difficult period” and that peace would soon prevail.

Russia has offered to ​mediate to try to help restore calm to the ​Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, ⁠which Moscow has condemned. It has also repeatedly offered ​to store Iran’s enriched uranium as a way of defusing ​tensions, an offer the United States has not taken up.

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“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests and the interests ​of all the peoples of the region to ensure that ​peace is achieved as quickly as possible,” Putin told Araqchi, according to ‌Russian ⁠state media.

“Last week I received a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader. I would like to ask you to convey my most sincere thanks for this and to confirm that Russia, ​like Iran, ​intends to continue ⁠our strategic relationship,” Putin added.

Iran last year sealed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Moscow, ​Russia is building two new nuclear units ​at Bushehr, ⁠the site of Iran’s only nuclear power plant, and Iran supplied Russia with Shahed drones for use against Ukraine.

Araqchi said ⁠relations between ​Russia and Iran would continue to ​strengthen and thanked Putin for Moscow’s support, the state RIA news agency reported.