Khamenei seeks greater support from Putin following US strikes

Iran's Supreme Leader has turned to Moscow for stronger backing after the United States carried out its most significant military action against Iran since the 1979 revolution. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi traveled to Russia to personally deliver a message from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to President Vladimir Putin, requesting increased Russian assistance in the face of escalating tensions.

The U.S. strikes, combined with open discussions by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli officials about potential actions targeting Khamenei and advocating for regime change, have heightened regional concerns. Moscow is particularly wary of further instability in the Middle East. While President Putin has criticized Israeli military actions, he has remained silent on Washington’s recent targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities. However, he recently called for restraint and reiterated Russia’s readiness to mediate on issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Tehran is dissatisfied with the level of support received from Russia so far and is seeking a stronger commitment, although they did not detail the specific form of assistance desired. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin would meet with Araqchi but provided no information on the agenda.

Araqchi emphasized that both countries are closely aligning their positions amid the growing crisis in the region. Putin has offered to mediate between Iran and the United States, sharing Moscow's proposals for resolving the dispute while supporting Iran’s right to civilian nuclear development.

Putin declined to speculate on whether U.S. or Israeli forces would target Khamenei. He did note that Israel had assured Russia that its personnel working on nuclear reactor projects in Iran, particularly at the Bushehr plant, would not be harmed in airstrikes.

Russia, a long-time ally of Tehran, holds considerable influence in Iran’s nuclear diplomacy as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a signatory to the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was abandoned by Trump in 2018 during his first term.