08-12-23, 09:49
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Putin Visits Middle East & Pledges to Ebrahim Raisi Closer Russia-Iran Ties
Putin Makes Rare Visit to The Middle East - Putin Pledges Closer Russia-Iran Ties After Rare Visit to Gulf
Putin & Saudi Crown Prince Discuss Middle East Peace and OPEC+ Strategies Amidst Oil Price Drop
Russian President Vladimir Putin said relations with the United Arab Emirates were at an all-time high during his first visit to the Middle East since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago
AP 8 DEC 2023
President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi vowed to deepen ties on Thursday, a day after the Russian leader made a rare visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Putin, whose country is under a raft of US and European sanctions imposed over his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has built an increasingly close partnership with Iran, including in the military sphere. His talks in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi on Wednesday also demonstrated the Russian leader’s success in courting the oil-rich traditional US Gulf allies, who have been critical of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
“Our relations are developing very well, please give my best regards to the Supreme Leader” of Iran, Putin said at the start of their talks in Moscow. “Thanks to his support, we have established a good trend in the last few years.”
Raisi railed at the “unjust global system,” condemning Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people, as a “crime against humanity” backed by the US and other Western nations. Describing Russia as a friendly nation, he said his meeting with Putin will create new favorable conditions for cooperation.
As it pursues its attack on Ukraine, Russia is using Iranian-made drones and is building a factory that will manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles designed by Iran, according to the White House. Tehran in return is reportedly getting advanced fighter aircraft and missiles, electronics and air defense equipment.
Saudi Arabia in March re-established diplomatic ties with Iran in a deal brokered by China and has sought to bolster investment and defense ties with its rival as it works to prevent regional fallout from the Gaza conflict.
Tehran and Riyadh have long been at loggerheads including over the US military presence in the Middle East and Iran’s support for armed proxies hostile to Saudi interests across the region.
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