Khamenei Representative Calls on Moscow for ‘Urgent Reform’ of Stance on Emirati Islands

Khamenei receives Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, July of last year (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website)
Khamenei receives Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, July of last year (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website)
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Khamenei Representative Calls on Moscow for ‘Urgent Reform’ of Stance on Emirati Islands

Khamenei receives Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, July of last year (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website)
Khamenei receives Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, July of last year (Iranian Supreme Leader’s website)

Mohammed Hassan Abu Tarabi, the Friday prayer leader in Tehran and a representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader, has called on Moscow to “urgently reform” its stance in supporting the UAE initiative and efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the issue of the three occupied islands: Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa.

Moscow has faced mounting criticism from political circles, particularly from the reformist and moderate factions in Iran, questioning the feasibility of the Iranian-Russian rapprochement.

These factions oppose the policy of “looking towards the East,” advocated by the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to foster closer ties between Moscow and Beijing.

In an attempt to counter its critics, the Iranian government sought to undermine their arguments by summoning the Russian ambassador to Tehran. Additionally, it indirectly criticized the Russian position without explicitly mentioning Russia by name.

However, the policy of refraining from directly criticizing Moscow only intensified the criticisms. Eventually, officials close to Khamenei’s office entered the fray and directly criticized Moscow.

Criticism against Russia escalated on Friday as websites republished a tweet from the Russian Foreign Ministry, quoting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s welcome message to his counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“Given the strategic relations between Tehran and Moscow, as well as the principles outlined in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization regarding respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, the Iranian people and the peoples of the Islamic region expect Moscow to promptly rectify and amend its recent position regarding the three Iranian islands,” said Abu Tarabi, according to IRNA.

It is well known that Friday prayer leaders in Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, express the positions of Khamenei regarding the latest developments in the political arena.

Abu Tarabi became the second official affiliated with Khamenei’s office to comment on Moscow’s stance, following Ali Akbar Velayati, the advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader on international affairs, who accused Moscow of “naivety.”



EU's Von der Leyen Announces 500 Mln Euro Package to Lure Top Researchers to Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
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EU's Von der Leyen Announces 500 Mln Euro Package to Lure Top Researchers to Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday a 500 million euros ($566.6 million) incentive package to boost European science research, as Europe hopes to lure top US scientists disgruntled with President Donald Trump.
"Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives. This is why I can announce that we will put forward a new 500 million euros package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers," she said at a speech in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are choosing to put research and innovation, science and technology, at the heart of our economy. We are choosing to be the continent where universities are pillars of our societies and our way of life," she added.
She also said she wanted EU-member states to invest 3% of gross domestic product in research and development by 2030, Reuters reported.
Last month, Macron and Von der Leyen said they would be looking to invite scientists and researchers from the world over to Europe, at a time when Trump's administration is threatening to cut federal funding for Harvard and other US universities.
In April, France also launched the "Choose France for Science" platform, operated by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which enables universities, schools, and research organizations to apply for co-funding from the government to host researchers.