Russia in dialogue with Iran's leadership

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia was in dialogue with representatives of Iran's leadership, but declined to provide further details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.

This development comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances in the region. Observers are closely monitoring these interactions for potential impacts on international relations and regional stability.

In the war so far, Iran has stood largely alone – its longtime partners Russia and China offering nothing more than diplomatic condemnations and expressions of concern.

Russia and China’s restraint reflects a cold calculation, analysts say: intervening as Iran faces Israel and the United States would bring high costs, limited gains and unpredictable risks – burdens neither power appears willing to shoulder.

Rather, Russia sees concrete benefits: rising oil prices strengthen its war economy, and a US administration tied up in the Middle East has less bandwidth for Ukraine.

Earlier on Friday, the Kremlin said that the war in Iran had fuelled demand for Russian energy products, noting that buyers like China and India were guided by their national interests.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia has been and remained a reliable supplier of oil and gas, both via pipelines and in liquefied form.