Iran's Pezeshkian assures Russia’s Putin, Hezbollah chief of continued support

A correspondent in Tehran

Jul 9, 2024

Newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a visit to the shrine of the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on July 6, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Tehran will undoubtedly continue to strengthen ties with Moscow, Iran's president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, told Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday, as reported by Iranian state media.

Pezeshkian reaffirmed his determination to follow up on previous Iran-Russia agreements signed under his predecessor, hard-line Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

The pro-Reform Pezeshkian was elected in a runoff on Friday, defeating ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in a low-turnout vote boycotted by more than half of Iranians.

Pezeshkian also brought up the 20-year Iran-Russia partnership pact, which has been in the works since late 2021. The president-elect told Putin that he is prepared to give the accord a final signature on the sidelines of an upcoming summit in the Russian city of Kazan. The event will bring together members of the BRICS group of nations, originally founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Along with several new members, Iran joined the economic alliance earlier in January.