The new president of Iran visited Moscow on a visit of gratitude, met with President Putin and addressed the State Duma.
Iran was recently admitted to the SCO, a bloc led by Russia.
This is also the first visit of the new President Ibrahim Raisi.
Relations between Russia and Iran are developing vigorously.
Syria is especially important.
Iranian troops are stationed there, which allows Russia to get by with aviation in this theater of operations.
Iran is fighting Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.
But Iran has also been opposing the United States for 40 years.
There was a reconciliation in the US-Iranian confrontation, expressed in a nuclear deal, but President Donald Trump withdrew his country from this agreement.
New US President Joe Biden promised to put America back in the deal, but that never happened.
Iran claims that it is developing a peaceful atom and does not need atomic bombs.
The United States wants Iran to sign an expanded treaty and pledge not to use missiles.
Iran says there was no treaty on missile technology.
It is necessary, they say, to return to the nuclear deal, and that's it.
Russia helped Iran with the original deal and is now helping to negotiate.
It is surprising that in Soviet times, Iran did not like Russia and called the Little Satan, and now considers it an intercessor!
Russia does not want Iran to have its own atomic bomb.
But Iran is not seeking an atomic bomb either.
The President recalled that, in accordance with the IAEA report, nuclear activities in Iran are carried out in a legal manner, no violations have been identified.
“Iran is committed to its obligations ... We are not engaged in the creation of nuclear weapons.
This is not part of our defense strategy,” said President Raisi, speaking to the State Duma.
The deputies greeted him with applause.
Some expected that he would be asked to join the EAEU.
But no!
A sovereign country was admired, but President Raisi did not go that far.
But the president himself harshly criticized NATO.
The model of NATO behavior, which invades the spaces of other countries and acts by deceit, will lead to the collapse of the alliance, Ibrahim Raisi said, speaking in the State Duma.
“NATO is engaged in penetration into the geographical spaces of countries under various pretexts and under cover.
It threatens independent states by spreading the Western model... Behavior that will eventually lead to disintegration,” Raisi said.
In general, the two countries managed a strategic alliance.
Which is also a lot.
And now, when the United States threatens Russia with sanctions, and even war, friendship with Iran is especially important.
Iranians highly appreciate President Putin.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.