The key facts

  • The Putin–Rezaei meeting took place in the Kremlin on November 5
  • Gas supplies and the construction of gas pipelines from Russia to Iran were discussed
  • Rezaei delivered a message from Mojtaba Khamenei; its contents were not disclosed

Kremlin meeting and the gas topic

On November 5, a meeting took place in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei. As reported Gazeta.Ru citing the Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the parties discussed the international and regional agenda, with an emphasis on the situation in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East.

Gas pipelines and the Khamenei message

According to Rezaei, the meeting raised the topic of building gas pipelines from Russia to Iran — with two goals: so that Tehran could eliminate the gas shortage within the country, and so that Iran could gain the ability to sell gas to neighboring countries. Thus, the discussion concerned not only energy imports but also Iran's potential transit role in the region.

Context

Earlier, Iranian state television IRIB reported that Rezaei delivered a message to Putin from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei; the details of the letter were not disclosed. In March, according to Gazeta.Ru, Putin stated that Russia remains a faithful friend of Iran. No decisions made or agreements signed as a result of the November meeting were reported — only the topics of the talks are known.