TEHRAN, Iran: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Iran on Tuesday to meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss bilateral ties, as well as key regional and international developments, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Iranian media specifically mentioned Tuesday as the expected date of the visit. No further details have yet emerged regarding the nature of the visit.
“The visit … will be carried out within the framework of ongoing consultations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation on bilateral relations and regional and international developments,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to a statement by the ministry.
The statement added that Lavrov will also meet with some other Iranian officials.
Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, told the ISNA news agency that Lavorv’s visit would take place on Tuesday and would be a one-day trip.
Lavrov last visited Iran in October 2023 for a meeting aimed at finding a solution to Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions.
Iran and Russia, as two close and strategic allies, have over the past years deepened relations in various fields, despite heavy Western sanctions.
Russia and Iran are under heavy Western sanctions. Those against Russia have been ramped up since the Ukraine war started in February 2022.
The majority of the sanctions on Tehran stem from Western efforts to block what they say are Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons, charges Iran has always denied.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has engaged in talks with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. However, the Trump administration has taken a hardline approach toward Iran, demanding a reversal of Tehran’s nuclear, military, and regional policies.
Meanwhile, the US has suggested that Washington and Moscow might share a strategic interest in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Speaking to independent journalist Catherine Herridge, Senator Marco Rubio said Thursday, “There are things we could cooperate on geopolitically,” adding, “I’m not sure the Russians are fans of the Iranian regime having nuclear weapons.”
His remarks come as US and Russian officials held their first discussions in Saudi Arabia on ending a three-year conflict this week.
In 2001, Tehran and Moscow signed a long-term cooperation deal, officially known as the Treaty of the Foundation of Mutual Relations and the Principles of Cooperation. It was initially set for 10 years but was extended twice up until 2026.
In January 2024, the presidents of Iran and Russia, Masoud Pezeshkian and Vladimir Putin, signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement for long-term cooperation. Both presidents hailed the agreement as a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
