Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Kremlin, where he denounced recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “absolutely unprovoked aggression.”
In a statement issued by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday, the strikes were “strongly condemned” and described as a “gross violation of international law, the U.N. Charter, and UN Security Council resolutions.” At their meeting, Putin echoed that stance, saying, “This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran; [it] has no basis or justification.”
Putin emphasized Russia’s longstanding ties with Tehran: “We, for our part, are making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people,” and noted the “long-standing, good, reliable relations with Iran.”
Araghchi expressed gratitude for Moscow’s position, stating that “Russia today is on the right side of history and international law.” He criticized the U.S. and Israeli strikes as “completely illegitimate” and “violative of international norms,” asserting Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty.
Highlighting the two nations’ cooperation on peaceful nuclear development, Araghchi said, “In the sphere of Iran’s nuclear program, Russia has always been a partner for us. It built the Bushehr nuclear power plant.”
The meeting underscores the deepening alignment between Russia and Iran amid heightened global tensions and questions surrounding efforts to uphold international institutions and legal norms.
