Khamenei Urges Belarusian President to Confront US Sanctions

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)
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Khamenei Urges Belarusian President to Confront US Sanctions

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP)

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to confront US sanctions, noting that countries subject to Western sanctions must counter the scheme through cooperation and by setting up a joint assembly.

The two countries signed a roadmap to boost political, economic, and cultural cooperation.

Lukashenko arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a two-day visit and was officially received by President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday. The visit comes as the two countries mark 30 years of official diplomatic relations.

Khamenei called for employing the two countries' will to implement cooperation agreements and promote their level of relations.

Raisi hailed three decades of close ties with Belarus after talks with his counterpart.

"Thirty years after the start of relations... the two countries have the will to strengthen cooperation," Raisi said, praising their "common strategic vision."

For his part, Lukashenko praised "with great respect the perseverance with which the (Iranian) people resist external pressures, attempts to impose the will of others on them."

"And I see that, despite everything, you are developing modern technologies and nuclear energy," he added about Iran's contested nuclear program, which has sparked tough international sanctions against the country.

"We could be very helpful to each other if we put our efforts together," added Lukashenko.

The two presidents did not mention the Ukraine war in their statements.

Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Tehran maintains close ties with Russia while at the same time asserting it maintains a neutral diplomatic stance in the Ukraine war.

However, Washington recently warned of the "dangerous" increase in military cooperation between Russia and Iran, accusing Tehran of providing Moscow with drones to use in Ukraine, which Tehran denies.

Iran recently announced that it finalized a contract with Russia to purchase Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.

Lukashenko recently paid a three-day visit to China, during which he said he fully supports Beijing's proposals to stop the war.

Belarus, neighboring Ukraine, did not send soldiers to fight alongside the Russian army, but its territory served as a rear base for Moscow's troops.



Kremlin Rejects Charge It Did Little to Help Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C, back) attends a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C, front) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 23 June 2025.  EPA/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C, back) attends a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C, front) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 23 June 2025. EPA/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
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Kremlin Rejects Charge It Did Little to Help Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C, back) attends a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C, front) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 23 June 2025.  EPA/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C, back) attends a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C, front) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 23 June 2025. EPA/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL

The Kremlin on Tuesday pushed back against criticism that it had not done enough to back Iran, saying it had taken a "clear position" by condemning US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

President Vladimir Putin has condemned what he called "unjustified" US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, with which he signed a strategic cooperation treaty in January. He said on Monday that Russia would try to help the Iranian people, although he gave no specifics.

Iranian sources told Reuters earlier this week that Tehran had not been impressed with Russia's support so far.

Asked about comparisons to the toppling last year of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, when Moscow refused to send troops or more air power to keep its ally in power, the Kremlin said some people were trying to spoil the Russian-Iranian partnership.

"Russia actually supported Iran with its clear position," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had appreciated Moscow's stance when he met Putin on Monday.

It was still too early to assess the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities, Peskov said.

"Some information is coming through the appropriate channels, but it is still too early," Peskov said. "Hardly anyone has a clear understanding right now."

Asked about a Reuters report that Araghchi had brought a letter to Putin from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Peskov said there had been no written document handed over.

"The fact that there were certain messages from the Iranian leadership is true. But this Reuters report is not true," Peskov said.

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region.

"If it has really been possible to achieve a ceasefire, then this can only be welcomed," Peskov said, adding that Qatar had helped to broker the ceasefire.

"This is what the Russian Federation has been calling for since the very beginning of this conflict. Therefore, yes, this can and should be welcomed, and we hope that this will be a sustainable ceasefire."