Iran's security chief meets Putin, delivers Khamenei's message
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei in Moscow on Thursday. Rezaei delivered a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, whose contents he did not disclose.
- Putin met Mohsen Rezaei on Thursday and received a message from Mojtaba Khamenei.
- Rezaei said Iran will not negotiate or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US meets its seven conditions.
- Talks also covered a gas pipeline from Russia to Iran.
- Donald Trump said he will soon decide whether to resume the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday, the Kremlin said. Al Jazeera reported the talks took place in Moscow and focused on regional security.
Rezaei delivered a message from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iranian state media. He did not say what it contained. He said Khamenei wanted it delivered to Putin as soon as possible, and that the trip had been planned nearly a month earlier but was postponed because of daily discussions on the military situation in the region.
Arab News reported that Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov and Russian military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov attended alongside Putin. The Kremlin had not immediately released its own account of the meeting, according to TASS.
Rezaei said important regional issues were discussed, including the post-war period and regional security arrangements. He said Putin repeated that Russia is ready to support efforts to end the war, and welcomed a meeting held in Tehran in late October among Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.
On diplomacy, Rezaei said Iran has given the Americans seven conditions. In his words: "As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations." He also said, "Like our Chinese friends, we believe that there should be regional arrangements and that foreign countries should not interfere in the security of the region."
Rezaei said the talks included plans to deepen energy cooperation, including a gas pipeline from Russia to Iran. DW reported that this would address Iran's long-running gas shortages and allow Russia to sell gas to neighbouring countries.
The meeting came as US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would decide soon whether to resume the war. DW reported he said he would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country but might have to. Axios, citing a senior US official, reported that US Central Command is accelerating preparations for possible large-scale operations but has received no new orders.
Efforts to end the conflict centre on the Strait of Hormuz, the US blockade of Iranian ports, sanctions and resumption of nuclear talks. Qatar is stepping up mediation, and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi held calls with counterparts in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Turkiye and Jordan.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 2 November that Iran had outlined a two-day plan with Qatari mediators to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, depending on the US meeting its conditions. On 6 November it reported Trump saying the US might have to destroy the rest of Iran and would decide soon.
Why it matters
Pakistan was one of the four countries at the Tehran meeting in late October that Putin welcomed, so regional diplomacy touches it directly. The war and the Strait of Hormuz affect fuel costs at home: khabr.pk recorded petrol at Rs352.59 and high-speed diesel at Rs382.25 per litre on 5 November. Any renewed fighting would be closely watched by Pakistani households and businesses.
