A senior ally of President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tehran on Monday for discussions with Iranian leaders, including the president and top security officials, as Iran considers its response to the killing of a Hamas leader.
Russia has condemned the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, and has urged all parties to avoid actions that could escalate the conflict into a broader regional war. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, met with Rear Admiral Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, and is also scheduled to meet with President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Shoigu, who transitioned from Russia’s defense minister to the Security Council in May, will engage with top Iranian officials, including the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and the head of the General Staff. He will also meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Although President Vladimir Putin has not publicly addressed the recent Middle East tensions, Russian officials have suggested that those responsible for Haniyeh’s killing are aiming to sabotage peace efforts and provoke U.S. military involvement.
Iran has blamed Israel for the killing and vowed retaliation, though Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility. Iran supports Hamas, which is engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza, and Hezbollah, which lost a senior military commander, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli strike on Beirut last week.
Since the start of the Ukraine war, Russia has strengthened its ties with Iran and is reportedly preparing a broad cooperation agreement with the country. Reports from February indicated that Iran had supplied Russia with powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, and in June, the U.S. suggested Russia had intensified its defense cooperation with Iran, receiving one-way attack drones used in Ukraine, a claim Moscow denies.
Last Friday, Russia joined Iran in condemning the assassination of Haniyeh and highlighted the grave risks associated with such actions.
