Putin, Pezeshkian Strengthen Russia-Iran Alliance Amid US Conflict

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's support of Tehran as the United States-Iran conflict enters another turbulent phase.

The two leaders met on September 1 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking their first face-to-face talks since the war erupted in February.

Pezeshkian praised Russia's position during the conflict and over previous years of US sanctions against Iran, saying Tehran valued Moscow's support in international organisations and diplomatic forums.

"We appreciate and thank you for your positions at every stage," Pezeshkian told Putin, referring to Russia's stance during the fighting as well as its opposition to US sanctions.

He described the relationship between Iran and Russia as "strategic", saying the two countries could cooperate in resisting what he called US "unilateralism".

Russia and Iran have deepened their military, economic and political cooperation in recent years. Moscow has reportedly provided Tehran with satellite imagery and other intelligence, which Iranian forces have used to help identify US military positions in the Persian Gulf.

The meeting took place as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated following a fresh exchange of attacks.

The United States said it struck Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz on August 30. Iran subsequently retaliated by attacking US military targets in Jordan.

A memorandum of understanding signed by Iran and the United States in June had been intended to establish a path towards ending the conflict. However, the agreement quickly broke down, with both sides returning to military and economic pressure.

Washington has since reinstated a naval blockade against Iran and intensified sanctions and other economic measures. Tehran, meanwhile, has maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas supplies normally passes.

Pezeshkian said Iran remained open to diplomatic efforts but insisted that Washington must first return to its commitments under the June agreement.

"If the United States returns to its commitments under the aforementioned memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate," he said.

Putin expressed continued solidarity with Iran and said Russia would maintain its economic and trade relationship with Tehran despite the ongoing military confrontation and political tensions.

Moscow had welcomed the June ceasefire memorandum, Putin said, but described the agreement as too fragile to survive.

"We welcomed the signing of the Iranian-American cease-fire memorandum in June of this year, but unfortunately, the cease-fire proved unstable and too fragile," Putin said.

He added that Russia was attempting to provide Iran with necessary assistance, including supplying goods required by Tehran.

The Russian delegation attending the Bishkek summit included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk and senior officials overseeing energy, transport, economic development, military-technical cooperation and nuclear energy.

Putin has also used the SCO summit to hold a series of meetings with other regional leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kazakh President Qasym-Dzhomart Toqaev.

Further talks were scheduled with leaders from Tajikistan, Turkey, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan as Moscow continues to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries across the region.

The Putin-Pezeshkian meeting underlined the increasingly close strategic relationship between Moscow and Tehran, as both governments face sustained pressure from Washington and the conflict continues to threaten stability across the Middle East.