What's happened
On October 11, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The leaders emphasized their close alignment on international issues and the strengthening of bilateral relations amid ongoing Western sanctions.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Independent reported that Putin emphasized the priority of relations with Iran, stating, "We are actively working together on the international arena." The Moscow Times highlighted Pezeshkian's view that the situation in the Middle East is "difficult," attributing blame to Western powers for exacerbating tensions. The Telegraph noted the urgency of the meeting, with Putin acknowledging that relations with Iran are developing "very successfully." These perspectives illustrate a consensus on the need for cooperation amid external pressures.
How we got here
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly due to Israeli military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Russia and Iran have deepened their ties since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, with Iran reportedly supplying military support to Russia.
More on these topics
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Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
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Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.
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Masoud Pezeshkian is an Iranian heart surgeon and reformist politician of Azerbaijani and Kurdish descent who is currently President-elect of Iran.
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Turkmenistan, also known as Turkmenia, is a sovereign country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west.
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BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in