Attacks Against Iran Are Unjustified Aggression: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (R), Moscow, June 23, 2025. x/ @g_s_World
June 23, 2025 Hour: 7:37 am
Iranian FM Araqchi noted that Russian-Iranian relations now have a ‘strategic character.’
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the attacks carried out against Iran by the United States and Israel as “unjustified aggression.”
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“The absolutely unjustified aggression against Iran has no basis or justification,” he said at the start of a meeting in the Kremlin with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Putin said Russia is “making efforts to assist the Iranian people” and sent his best wishes to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He noted that the visit by Iran’s top diplomat comes during “a difficult period of sharp escalation” in the Middle East and surrounding region.
“We have good and reliable relations with Iran,” Putin said, stressing that Russia’s position on the matter is “well-known” and has been presented at the United Nations Security Council.
For his part, Araqchi thanked Putin for “firmly condemning the aggressive actions,” whether by Israel or the U.S., and noted that Russian-Iranian relations now have a “strategic character.”
“Russia is today on the right side of history and international law… I hope today we can address the full range of issues related to these events. The level of escalation increases every day because they decided to attack our nuclear facilities—not just Israel, but also the Americans,” he said.
“The aggressive actions of Israel and the U.S. are completely illegitimate and violate international rules and norms. We are now defending our sovereignty, and our defense is legitimate,” Araqchi added.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he expected Araqchi to outline to Putin what Iran needs from Russia amid the bombing campaign by the U.S. and Israel.
“Everything depends on what Iran needs now,” Peskov said during his daily telephone press briefing when asked what Russia is prepared to do to assist the Islamic Republic. Peskov emphasized that Araqchi would present “his proposals and his assessment of the situation” at the Kremlin.
“We believe all countries have the right to peaceful nuclear energy, the right to operate nuclear power plants and develop their own peaceful nuclear sector. We insist on this position,” he added later, noting that the attacks on Iran are unprecedented and will have unpredictable consequences for the world—though always negative.
Last week, Putin ruled out possible Russian involvement in the conflict, stating that such an option is not covered by the strategic partnership agreement signed by both countries earlier this year.
Peskov warned of further escalation, the risk of radioactive contamination, and the potential involvement of more actors in the conflict—referring to Saturday’s U.S. airstrikes—and denied that U.S. President Donald Trump had informed Moscow “in detail” beforehand.
Regarding a possible phone call between Putin and Trump, Peskov said that while none is currently scheduled, it could happen “at any moment.”
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
