Top diplomatic officials from Russia and Iran met Friday to explore potential pathways toward resolving the current Middle East crisis through negotiations, according to a statement from Moscow’s foreign ministry.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held discussions with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi about diplomatic alternatives to the ongoing conflict. According to the ministry’s announcement, the officials examined “in detail the most difficult military-political crisis in the Middle East, which erupted as a result of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran.”
The diplomatic meeting focused on exploring ways to transition the current hostilities toward peaceful resolution. “There was an exchange of views on the prospects of shifting the conflict into a channel for a political-diplomatic settlement based on international law and taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region,” the ministry stated.
During their conversation, Lavrov also briefed his Iranian colleague on Russia’s latest humanitarian aid delivery to Iran, the statement revealed.
The two nations recently formalized their relationship through a comprehensive strategic partnership that encompasses political, economic, military, and energy collaboration, though it stops short of including mutual defense commitments.
Moscow has been utilizing Iranian-manufactured drones in its ongoing four-year military campaign in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, at a G7 gathering on Friday, European foreign ministers raised concerns with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Russia’s alleged assistance to Iran in targeting American military personnel in the Middle East conflict.
According to two Western intelligence sources and a regional official with ties to Tehran who spoke to Reuters, Russia has been supplying satellite intelligence to Iran and has assisted in enhancing Iranian drone technology to match the capabilities of those deployed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
