Putin meets Iran’s Khamenei on first trip outside ex-Soviet Union since Ukraine war

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LONDON/DUBAI — Russian President Vladimir Putin had talks with Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran on Tuesday, the Kremlin chief’s first journey outdoors the previous Soviet Union since Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

In Tehran, Putin additionally held his first face-to-face assembly because the invasion with a NATO chief, Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan, to debate a deal that may resume Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports in addition to the battle in northern Syria.

Putin’s journey, coming simply days after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Israel and Saudi Arabia, sends a robust message to the West about Moscow’s plans to forge nearer strategic ties with Iran, China and India within the face of Western sanctions.

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Khamenei known as for long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia, telling Putin that the 2 nations wanted to remain vigilant in opposition to “Western deception,” Iran’s state TV reported.

He mentioned Putin had ensured Russia “maintained its independence” from the US and that nations ought to begin utilizing their very own nationwide currencies when buying and selling items.

“The U.S. greenback ought to be progressively taken off international commerce, and this may be executed progressively,” Khamenei mentioned in the course of the assembly, in a spartan white room with an Iranian flag and a portrait of late revolutionary chief Ayatollah Khomeini.

Regardless of the struggling endured by strange folks in warfare, Khamenei mentioned Moscow had little different in Ukraine. “For those who had not taken the initiative, the opposite aspect (West) would have prompted a warfare by itself initiative,” he advised Putin.

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BOTH SANCTIONED

For Iran, additionally chafing below Western financial sanctions and at loggerheads with the US over Tehran’s nuclear program and a variety of different points, Putin’s go to is well timed.

The Islamic Republic’s clerical leaders are eager to strengthen strategic relations with Russia in opposition to an rising, U.S.-backed Gulf Arab-Israeli bloc that would shift the Center East stability of energy additional away from Iran.

Emboldened by excessive oil costs because the Ukraine warfare, Iran is betting that with Russia’s help it might stress Washington to supply concessions for the revival of its 2015 nuclear take care of world powers.

Nevertheless, Russia’s elevated tilt in direction of Beijing in latest months has considerably diminished Iranian crude exports to China – a key supply of earnings for Tehran since then-U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018.

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In Might, Reuters reported that Iran’s crude exports to China had fallen sharply as Beijing favored closely discounted Russian barrels, leaving virtually 40 million barrels of Iranian oil saved on tankers at sea in Asia and looking for consumers.

Forward of Putin’s arrival, the Nationwide Iranian Oil Firm (NIOC) and Russian fuel producer Gazprom signed a memorandum of understanding price round $40 billion.

SYRIA, UKRAINE

Putin, Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi additionally weighed efforts to scale back violence in Syria, the place Turkey has threatened to launch extra navy operations to increase 30-km (20-mile) deep “secure zones” alongside the border. Moscow and Tehran each oppose any such motion by Turkey.

“Sustaining the territorial integrity of Syria is essential, and any navy assault in northern Syria will certainly hurt Turkey, Syria and your complete area, and profit terrorists,” Khamenei advised Erdogan earlier than the three-way assembly.

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Russia and Iran are Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s strongest backers, whereas Turkey helps anti-Assad insurgents.

Any Turkish operation in Syria would assault the Kurdish YPG militia, a key a part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls giant elements of north Syria and is regarded by Washington as an necessary ally in opposition to Islamic State militants.

“It’s unattainable to count on Turkey to stay inactive, unresponsive, as this terrorist group continues its separatist agenda,” Erdogan mentioned, referring to the YPG.

“I hear from you, my expensive associates, that you just perceive Turkey’s official safety issues. I’m grateful for this, however phrases alone are usually not a remedy for wounds.”

Putin, who turns 70 this 12 months, has made few overseas journeys lately because of the COVID-19 pandemic after which the Ukraine disaster. His final journey past the previous Soviet Union was to China in February.

Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations are anticipated to signal a deal later this week geared toward resuming the delivery of grain from Ukraine throughout the Black Sea.

“Along with your mediation we have now moved ahead,” Putin advised Erdogan after their bilateral assembly. “Not all the problems have been resolved but, however the truth that there may be motion is already good.” (Extra reporting by Orhan Coskun and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Writing by Man Faulconbridge, Parisa Hafezi and Dominic Evans; Modifying by Gareth Jones, William Maclean, Alistair Bell, Jonathan Oatis and Mark Heinrich)