Iranian, Russian Presidents Pledge to Strengthen Strategic Bilateral Cooperation

During a phone conversation on Wednesday, Pezeshkian stressed the importance of continuing and expanding bilateral cooperation across sectors, saying sustained engagement would serve both countries' common interests.

Putin said cooperation between Russia and Iran under their comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty was continuing despite developments and tensions in the region. He emphasised the importance of maintaining close relations and coordination between Moscow and Tehran.

The Russian president also referred to diplomatic efforts by several countries to mediate between Iran and the United States and reduce tensions in West Asia. Putin said Russia supported such initiatives and was prepared to contribute to efforts to ease the situation.

The discussions come against the backdrop of a wider conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. According to the account provided by Iranian authorities, Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 28, prompting Iran to respond with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US military assets in the region.

A ceasefire was reached on April 8. On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict across the region.

Under the agreement, the two countries were expected to hold negotiations within 60 days, with August 17 set as the deadline for reaching a final agreement. However, the talks made little progress as tensions continued to escalate.