Putin meets Iranian foreign minister in show of support for Tehran

Vladimir Putin. Pic/FilePic

Another twist in the tale amid the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, as Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Iranian Foreign Minister. Vladimir Putin's meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Kremlin on Monday addressed the US strikes as "absolutely unprovoked aggression" and reaffirmed Russian support for Tehran.

The Russian president, while addressing the issue, said, "This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran; (it) has no basis or justification."

He added, "We, for our part, are making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people," noting Russia's "long-standing, good, reliable relations with Iran", as reported by AP.

Furthermore, Araghchi thanked Russia for condemning the actions of Israel and the US against Iran and expressed gratitude to Russia for extending a helping hand to the country amid the tense global outrage.
The Iranian Foreign Minister also said, "These aggressive actions by Israel and the US are completely illegitimate and violate international rules and international norms. We are defending our sovereignty and country, and our defence is legitimate."

Araghchi also stated that Russia has always been Iran's partner in the peaceful nuclear energy sector and has played a positive role in negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme.

"In the sphere of Iran's nuclear programme, Russia has always been a partner for us. It built the Bushehr nuclear power plant," he said.

Earlier, the United States of America, on Sunday, 22 June, launched targeted airstrikes on three of Iran's most critical nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan - in a dramatic escalation of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

President Donald Trump is expected to propose a diplomatic off-ramp to avoid further conflict, even as the United Nations expresses deep concern over the growing instability.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the US for its decisive show of strength, calling the strike a major blow to Iran's military infrastructure amid the tense situation in the Middle East.

Before the US bombings, Israel's campaign had already targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Israel's earlier strikes also killed top generals and nuclear scientists in Iran.

(With AP Inputs)