Iran’s security chief meets Putin in Moscow, delivers Leader’s message

Major General Mohsen Rezaei

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei has delivered a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Kremlin, where the two sides discussed bilateral strategic relations, regional and international developments, and prospects for expanding cooperation.

Speaking after Thursday’s meeting in Moscow, Rezaei said the discussions covered regional security arrangements in the aftermath of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Moscow’s support for ending the aggression, and plans to expand energy and transit cooperation, including the construction of gas pipelines from Russia to Iran.

Rezaei said Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei had wanted the message to be delivered to Putin as soon as possible. He added that the Russian president conveyed his “warm and sincere greetings” to the Leader in response.

According to Rezaei, the meeting also addressed the broad agenda of relations between Tehran and Moscow, with the Iranian official stressing the need to deepen strategic ties and accelerate the implementation of major agreements between the two countries.

He emphasized that strategic cooperation between Iran and Russia plays a significant role in promoting regional stability and countering unilateralism in international affairs.

A substantial part of the meeting was devoted to examining the latest developments in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.

Rezaei also outlined Iran’s position on recent US actions and threats against the country, saying responses from Western parties to Tehran’s demands had not been satisfactory.

He stressed that Iran has clearly stated its positions and that the opposing parties must explicitly comply with the conditions set by Tehran.

Putin, for his part, welcomed the message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and underscored Iran’s constructive and key role in the region.

Referring to the shared positions of Tehran and Moscow on numerous regional and international issues, the Russian president reaffirmed Moscow’s determination to expand relations with Iran and called for continued consultations between the two countries’ security and political officials.

Rezaei also said discussions with Putin focused on major regional developments, particularly the future security architecture of West Asia following the war.

“Important issues concerning the region were discussed with Mr. Putin, including significant discussions on the postwar period and regional security arrangements,” he said.

He further reported that Putin condemned the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities and described the war against the country as unjust.

According to Rezaei, the Russian president pledged to provide whatever assistance he could to help bring the aggression to an end.

“Mr. Putin said that he would provide any assistance to end the war,” Rezaei said.

The meeting comes amid intensified diplomatic and strategic engagement between Tehran and Moscow as Iran seeks to address the consequences of the war and establish arrangements for regional security and postwar reconstruction.

The two countries have repeatedly emphasized their commitment to expanding strategic cooperation across political, security, economic and energy sectors.

Alongside the security discussions, energy cooperation featured prominently in the meeting, with Rezaei announcing that the two sides had discussed and reached an agreement on plans to build gas pipelines connecting Russia and Iran.

He said the proposed infrastructure would serve two purposes: helping Iran address domestic gas shortages while enabling it to receive Russian gas and sell it to neighboring countries, potentially strengthening its position as a regional gas distribution hub.

“An agreement was reached on building gas pipelines from Russia to Iran so that Iran can both overcome its gas shortages and sell Russian gas to neighboring countries,” Rezaei said.

The proposed arrangement would expand energy cooperation beyond direct bilateral supplies, creating opportunities for Iran to serve as a transit and distribution route for Russian gas to regional markets.

According to a reporter for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcaster (IRIB), the Kremlin meeting lasted more than three hours and also covered the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as well as discussions on developing Iran into a regional gas hub.

The North-South corridor, a multimodal transport network designed to connect Russia and other parts of northern Eurasia with Iran and markets further south, is an important component of broader Tehran-Moscow efforts to expand trade and transport connectivity.

Its development could provide both countries with additional routes for regional commerce and reduce reliance on traditional transit routes.

The discussions on gas infrastructure and the transport corridor therefore point to a broader effort to link energy cooperation with regional trade and transit networks.

The Kremlin meeting brought together senior security, diplomatic and military officials from both countries.

Rezaei, who also serves as the Leader’s representative, was accompanied by SNSC Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri Kani and Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali.

Putin was joined by Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov and Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Russian Defense Ministry.

The meeting followed a telephone conversation between Rezaei and Putin on Monday, during which the two officials discussed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in West Asia, and underscored the need to continue strategic cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.

During that conversation, Rezaei also expressed appreciation for the Russian president's and other Russian officials' positions concerning the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and their expressions of support for the Iranian people's resilience.