Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran on Tuesday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a “dangerous creature” that respects “no borders and boundaries” and is opposed to a “strong and independent Russia.”
In this respect, he said had Russia not “stopped” NATO in Ukraine, the alliance “would have launched the same war sometime later under the pretext of the Crimea issue.”
In this regard, Putin told Khamenei about the reasons behind Russia’s “special military operation in Ukraine, pointing to the “coup” in Ukraine as well as NATO’s “expansionist policies.” The Russian leader added that some European countries are against adding Ukraine to NATO but “were forced to agree with it under US pressure,” which he said shows that the alliance is not independent.
#Iran, #Russia, Turkey slam continuing #Israeli military attacks in #Syria including civilian infrastructures https://t.co/VXFjlGJ4Wr pic.twitter.com/dqsvRjL3Ze
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) July 19, 2022
In addition, Khamenei declared that the United States (US) must be “forced to leave Syria,” accusing it of exploiting the “fertile and oil-rich” eastern region of the country. Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with the Russian leader, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed Russia’s “sincerity and determination” in fighting terrorism in Syria.
Furthermore, Khamenei celebrated Russia’s evolving position on Israel and its “anti-Zionist stances,” given that it has in recent weeks repeatedly condemned Israeli airstrikes in Syria and demanded an “unconditional cessation” of “irresponsible acts that violate Syria’s sovereignty and international law.”
The two meetings took place along the sidelines of the Astana Format Summit, wherein Khamenei stressed on the importance of cooperation between Russia and Iran to oppose the “deceiving western policies,” particularly in light of escalating sanctions against both of their countries. He warned that the United States (US) was “inclined towards forcefully pursuing their objectives.” The Supreme Leader also blamed the US for breaking the Soviet Union and appreciated Putin’s role in preserving Russia’s independence.
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received the visiting #Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening. pic.twitter.com/tiLmBMlbHD
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) July 19, 2022
Khamenei added that Western forces have gotten weaker despite their efforts and are likely to fail to achieve their ambitions in West Asian countries, such as Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. Putin, meanwhile, proposed trilateral military cooperation with China via ‘war games.’
On the economic front, Khamenei stressed on the need to complete the Rash-Astara railway, which forms part of the North-South corridor. In addition, Putin said in his meeting with Raisi that bilateral trade has grown to “record” levels and that Western sanctions had backfired to cause a global rise in energy and food prices. He added that the US’ decision to exploit the strength of the dollar would eventually result in countries losing their trust in the currency. To this end, he called for Iran and Russia to “ditch” the US dollar in their bilateral trade.
Raisi, Putin stress developing Tehran-Moscow strategic ties https://t.co/6t9cbrawFv pic.twitter.com/WbksWARykz
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) July 19, 2022
Additionally, Putin and Raisi celebrated their expanding bilateral ties on a variety of issues including security, energy, trade, and infrastructure.
The two sides also signed a $40 billion memorandum of understanding on developing oil and gas fields in Iran via a deal between Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom also secured a $4 billion-dollar deal with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). At present, Russian investment in Iranian energy fields is around $4 billion.