Iran's security council chief brings Khamenei message to Putin in Moscow, discusses gas pipelines

The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Rezaei, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, 6 November. He handed over a personal message from Iran's Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei concerning the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran in late February. The meeting was not announced in advance, and the content of the message has not been made public, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.

Rezaei described the talks as an extremely important exchange of views on the post-war situation and regional security. He said the construction of gas pipelines from Russia to Iran was discussed. According to him, the project is meant to help Tehran address gas shortages and make it easier to sell Russian gas to neighbouring countries. Iran is a major natural gas producer but has long suffered fuel shortages, which have worsened since the war began. Tehran says that during the most intense phase of the war, which lasted nearly 40 days, US and Israeli strikes hit gas processing plants among other infrastructure.

Railway and loan

Rezaei said Iran's Supreme National Security Council has approved the executive agreement to build the Rasht–Astara railway with Russian participation. The section, just over 160 kilometres long, is considered the last missing link in the western route of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is meant to connect Russia with Iranian ports on the Persian Gulf.

The Iranian agency Fars has reported that Russia prepared a $1 billion loan for Iran, but the transfer has been delayed. It would be the first instalment of a planned $20 billion loan. Some experts link the delay to the stalled railway project. On 1 October, at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia was ready to provide credit, and that it was up to Iran to complete its part of the work.

Background

Russia has long supported Iran and reportedly supplied it with intelligence and equipment during the war. Tehran, for its part, backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine by providing Shahed drone technology, which Moscow turned into its own Geran drones.

In early October Putin said Russia was prepared to mediate an end to the war, but it has not taken part in the talks; Pakistan and Qatar have been the main mediators. After the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued an advisory urging Russians to avoid travel to Iran and the Middle East while the risk of renewed war remains.