As tensions remain sky-high in the Middle East, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, announced on Sunday that he would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit comes just days after the United States launched major airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites as part of its first direct military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Iran is still weighing how to respond to the American attacks, and this high-level trip to Russia is part of Tehran’s push to rally diplomatic backing from its closest allies.
“Russia is a friend of Iran,” Araghchi said, calling the two nations “strategic partners who always consult and coordinate their positions.”
While Russia did issue a formal condemnation of the US strikes, saying the move undercut international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, the reaction stopped there.
The Kremlin hasn’t publicly commented on the details of the airstrikes, and so far, it has made no announcements about offering any military or financial support to Iran.
Iran has now been at war with Israel for over ten days, and even as it looks to its traditional partners, it hasn’t received any solid assistance — including from Russia or China.
One reason for Moscow’s silence is simple: Russia has its hands full with its ongoing war in Ukraine. Now entering its fourth year, that conflict has stretched Russia’s military and economic resources thin.
With so much at stake in Eastern Europe, Putin is unlikely to risk opening up another front or getting dragged into a larger fight in the Middle East.
There’s also some careful diplomacy at play. Russia doesn’t want to upset its growing ties with Iran’s regional rivals, especially Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Moscow has worked hard to build good relations with Gulf nations, particularly on energy deals and oil production agreements.
At the same time, Putin is also keeping an eye on Washington. Despite their history of tension, the Kremlin is hoping to stay on good terms with US President Donald Trump — especially as it seeks American cooperation (or at least no interference) in negotiating a peace deal in Ukraine on Russia’s terms.
So when it comes to Iran, Russia is choosing its words carefully—showing just enough support to maintain the relationship but stopping short of taking any action that could complicate its other goals.
There’s one more factor at play: money. The turmoil in the Middle East — especially the growing conflict between Iran, Israel, and now the US — has caused oil prices to shoot up.
And for Russia, one of the world’s biggest oil exporters, that’s good news.
The longer the uncertainty drags on, the more Moscow stands to gain economically. That could explain why Putin has little incentive to jump into the conflict or escalate tensions further.
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