Tehran (TDI): In a rare move, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sent a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, appealing for support after coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes targeted key nuclear sites inside Iran.
The letter was delivered by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who arrived in Moscow on Monday morning for direct talks with Putin, according to Newsweek.
While the full contents of Khamenei’s letter have not been disclosed, Iranian officials say it reflects Tehran’s growing urgency to rally diplomatic support amid escalating regional tensions.
“We have common concerns and adversaries. Iran and Russia have long cooperated in facing shared threats,” Araqchi said in an interview with Iranian state TV before meeting Putin. “That cooperation will continue.”
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According to Russian media, Putin responded by condemning the military strikes as “unjustified” and described them as “unprovoked acts of aggression.”
He added that Moscow was working to assist the Iranian people, though he gave no details on what form that support might take.
The Iranian outreach to Russia comes just days after US aircraft dropped so-called “bunker-buster” bombs on three Iranian nuclear facilities, a move Washington said was necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Tehran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at increasing energy output.
The timing of the letter is critical. Iran and Russia have steadily deepened their military and political ties since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has reportedly supplied Shahed drones that Russia has used in strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, a point of friction between Tehran and the West.
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In January this year, the two countries signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a sweeping agreement that expands cooperation but does not include a mutual defense clause.
That gap is becoming more significant as Iran faces mounting pressure, not just from Israel but now also from the United States. While Moscow has condemned the latest attacks, it has not so far offered any concrete military support to Tehran in response.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
