Russia, Iran Foreign Ministers Meet and Pledge to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fiercely criticized the United States and Israel on October 19 (local time) as the root cause of tension and instability in the Middle East, stating that Iran is strengthening its strategic cooperation with Russia to overcome the situation.

According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, Araghchi made the remarks during a joint press conference held after his meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran, where they announced the results of their discussions on bilateral security issues.

Above all, Araghchi focused on placing the blame for the security crisis in the Middle East on the United States and Israel.

Araghchi defined the current instability in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as "the direct result of military attacks against Iran by the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel), which have continued in various forms since last year."

He went on to claim that "the attacks and economic blockades by the United States and the Zionist regime are the core factors destabilizing our region."

Mentioning the situations in Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen, he urged that "the genocide against the Palestinian people and the Zionist regime's dangerous regional expansionism must be halted immediately."

Araghchi hinted that Iran is cooperating closely with Russia to counter these multifaceted regional security threats.

During their meeting, the two ministers reportedly held broad discussions on security issues in the Persian Gulf, West Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe, as well as negotiations between Iran and the U.S. and the situation in Ukraine.

"It is the common view of Iran, Russia, and others that there is no military solution to regional issues and that they must be resolved through diplomatic and political means," he emphasized.

In addition, he highlighted the growing closeness between Russia and Iran amid external security pressures.

Mentioning the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by the two countries' presidents, Araghchi evaluated that "relations between Iran and Russia have entered a new, broader, and deeper phase."

He added that high-level exchanges are actively continuing, citing the recent meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan.

Lavrov also highly praised the cooperation between the two countries amid the wartime situation.

Referring to the bilateral strategic partnership treaty, Lavrov explained, "Russia has proven through actions that it is fulfilling its obligations under the treaty. We have used our principled stance to block attempts at the United Nations to justify aggression against Iran, and we have also delivered humanitarian supplies such as medical goods and food."

Lavrov further emphasized that "despite well-known external changes and pressures, the comprehensive cooperation between Iran and Russia will continue to develop dynamically and strongly in the future."

He also made it clear that Russia has no intention of abandoning economic cooperation with Iran despite heavy U.S. sanctions.

"Despite the difficult circumstances as repeatedly mentioned, Russia has no intention whatsoever of abandoning the implementation of economic and investment agreements with Iran," Lavrov asserted.

He then stressed the need to resume dialogue regarding the civil war in Yemen, a major issue in the Middle East.

"It is naturally important to resume dialogue on the situation in and around Yemen as well," Lavrov said, emphasizing that "the most ideal path is to return to the peace roadmap prepared by Saudi Arabia in 2023."

"This roadmap was an arrangement acceptable to both the internationally recognized official government of Yemen in Aden and the Ansarullah (the official name of the Houthi movement) movement," he added, repeatedly urging a diplomatic resolution.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.