Iranian President Meets Putin Amid Nuclear Tensions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, the Kremlin confirmed on Monday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, the Kremlin confirmed on Monday.

The meeting comes amid growing international pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program. Observers believe the two leaders likely discussed recent developments surrounding Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal.

Last week, the UK, France, and Germany announced plans to reimpose sanctions on Iran, accusing it of failing to comply with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The three European nations have warned Tehran for weeks that unless it returns to full compliance, United Nations sanctions could be reinstated when the current arrangement expires in October.

Under the 2015 agreement, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Russia has publicly expressed its support for Iran amid renewed Western criticism.

Meanwhile, following the SCO summit, Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled together in the same car to attend a scheduled bilateral meeting. Modi later shared a photo on his X (formerly Twitter) account, stating: “After the SCO Summit, President Putin and I traveled together to our meeting venue. Conversations with him are always insightful.”