Russia, Iran Discuss Regional Developments

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran last October (AP)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran last October (AP)
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Russia, Iran Discuss Regional Developments

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran last October (AP)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran last October (AP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held telephone talks with their Iranian counterparts on Monday, several Russian media outlets reported.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov and Iran's FM Hossein Amirabdollahian strongly condemned the large-scale attacks on Yemen carried out by a group of countries led by the US and the UK, according to the Russian TASS agency.
The statement said the ministers focused "on the escalating tensions in the Middle East."
They spoke in favor of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ensuring unobstructed humanitarian access to the enclave to provide urgent assistance to the suffering civilian population.
The Foreign Ministers also discussed the progress in drafting a new treaty and other issues concerning bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and cooperation in transport, logistics, and other areas.
Bilateral relations between the two countries have shown major improvement in the past few months.
However, Moscow faced sharp Iranian criticism last month after the Russian Foreign Minister reiterated his country's support for an Emirati initiative offering Tehran to resolve the issue of the three occupied islands in the Arabian Gulf through dialogue or referring it to international courts.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the two ministers asserted their mutual commitment to the fundamental principles of Russian-Iranian relations, including unconditional respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and other principles of the UN Charter.
They noted that these issues will be reaffirmed in the major treaty underway for signing by Russia and Iran.
During the past few weeks, Amirabdollahian was subject to criticism after he claimed to have obtained Russian confirmation that it had corrected its position regarding the trio islands without providing evidence.
Last December, Marrakesh hosted the 6th Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum (RACF) session at the ministerial level.
In the concluding statement, the countries confirmed their support for all peaceful efforts, including initiatives aimed at reaching a solution to the three islands issue according to the principles of international law and the UN Charter and through bilateral negotiations or resorting to the International Court of Justice if the parties agree to that.
The Russian support revived internal disputes regarding rapprochement with China and distancing itself from Western countries.
Foreign policy adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati was among the most prominent critics of the Russian position.
Velayati warned Moscow of the repercussions of a "strategic" relationship between the two countries.
Furthermore, Mohsen Rezaee, senior military officer in the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and former VP for economic affairs, warned against repeating Russia's unfriendly interventions regarding the Iranian territory.
Rezaee added: "The three islands are not Crimea."
Last month, Iran summoned the Russian Chargé d'Affaires in a move similar to calling the chief Russian diplomat in Tehran last June.
Iran supplies Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine. Russia supports the parties supporting Iran's demands in the 2015 agreement on its nuclear program.

The diplomatic path to reviving the nuclear agreement faltered after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.



Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine’s Sumy Region Killed Seven, Zelenskiy Says

 A view shows a residential building, which was damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows a residential building, which was damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine’s Sumy Region Killed Seven, Zelenskiy Says

 A view shows a residential building, which was damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows a residential building, which was damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine November 18, 2024. (Reuters)

Seven people were killed, including a child, in a drone attack by Russia on Ukraine's northeastern region of Sumy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

"Every new Russian strike only confirms (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's true intentions. He wants the war to continue, he is not interested in talking about peace," Zelenskiy said.

The drone attack overnight on a residential building in the small town of Hlukhiv bordering Russia left 12 people wounded, including two children, the military administration of the Sumy region said on the Telegram messaging app.

A video shared by Zelenskiy showed emergency workers sifting through the rubble of the partially destroyed building as search and rescue operations continued into the morning.

The regional military administration said that Russian forces used two drones in the attack.

Ukraine's air force said it shot down 51 drones and lost track of 30 more after Russia launched 87 drones overnight.

Russian forces have pummeled the northeastern region of Sumy in the past months, damaging its critical and civilian infrastructure.

A Sunday missile strike there killed 11 people, injured 89 and cut power in the city of Sumy.