Putin and Pezeshkian Meet at SCO Summit Amid US-Iran Tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, where he expressed solidarity with Iran and pledged continued support against US sanctions. The meeting came as the United States launched fresh strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, according to multiple reports.
Putin told Pezeshkian, "During this difficult period, we are striving to provide you with the necessary assistance — as we have discussed — and are supplying you with essential goods," as reported by the New York Post, citing a Kremlin readout. The Russian leader also stated that Russia stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and admires their courage and resilience, according to TASS.
Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia's support during Iran's conflict with the United States, and criticized US sanctions, likening them to those imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. "They do not have the right to impose sanctions whenever they please, violate international law, and then commit acts of aggression," Pezeshkian said, as quoted by the New York Post. He added, "We believe — and are confident — that in this way we can counter S. unilateralism and the unjust sanctions imposed upon us."
According to TASS, Pezeshkian said the United States has no justification for its actions against Iran and expressed confidence that Iran will prevail in the standoff. He also described relations between Russia and Iran as strategic and voiced support for moving away from the unipolar world order.
Expert Analysis: Limited Practical Impact
Mark N. Katz, a Russian foreign policy expert and nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Middle East programs, downplayed the significance of Putin's expression of support. "It would have been surprising if he didn't," Katz said, as reported by Baltimore News and WJLA. He called the expression of solidarity the "very minimum" Putin could offer, noting that Russia is not sending troops or major weapon systems to Iran.
Katz said Russia has reportedly been supplying targeting data to the Iranians, but he suggested Putin is content with the current situation. "He's just happy that the S. is focusing its resources and attention on Iran, not on Russia," Katz said. He also noted that Putin does not want to provide substantive aid to Iran for fear of provoking the Trump administration into sending more aid to Ukraine.
Katz said the expression of solidarity is unlikely to affect US-Russia relations or the wars in Ukraine and Iran. He described the Russia-Ukraine war as reaching "a more desperate stage," and noted that some analysts believe Putin may feel under pressure, while others fear he could expand the war by attacking a smaller NATO country.
Broader Context: US Sanctions and Military Support
The New York Post reported that Russia has aided Iran with satellite target assistance for retaliatory attacks on military bases in the Middle East, and Moscow has been accused of shipping parts for drones, missiles, and explosives to Iran. Iran had previously provided Russia with Shahed suicide drones used in the war in Ukraine.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he aims to "asphyxiate" the Iranian government with sanctions, threatening to seize offshore bank accounts and luxury properties owned by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's alleged $130 million London real estate portfolio, according to the New York Post.
Pezeshkian said Tehran would be willing to return to the negotiating table with the US, and claimed Iran would "immediately take reciprocal action" if the US returned to the terms of June's memorandum of understanding, as reported by the New York Post.