Iran turns to Putin as war, US election reshape strategic calculations

Detailed summary

A Kremlin meeting with Iran's top security official coupled with reports of new arms deals amid looming war demonstrate Tehran's push to turn vulnerability into strategic leverage.

TEHRAN — An unannounced visit by Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, to Moscow this week was more than another diplomatic encounter between two increasingly close partners.

Rezaei's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended by the Kremlin's foreign policy aide and the head of Russia's military intelligence agency, came at a critical juncture, with Tehran resisting US demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations and President Donald Trump keeping military options on the table after Republicans suffered a major midterm defeat.

The timing presents an opportunity for Iran to strengthen its strategic position and demonstrate that it is not isolated. But the visit also exposes a fundamental uncertainty in its relationship with Moscow: How far Russia is willing to go toward becoming a meaningful security partner, or whether it is…

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