Elena Teslova
01 September 2026•Update: 01 September 2026
- Masoud Pezeshkian says 'strategic' relations between Tehran and Moscow 'helped Iran confront US'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the US-Iran ceasefire proved "unstable and too fragile" after the June memorandum, assuring Tehran of support.
Speaking at a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Putin emphasized Moscow’s support for Iran amid the current military and political tensions.
“We welcomed the conclusion in June of this year of the Iranian-American memorandum on a ceasefire, but, unfortunately, the truce proved unstable and too fragile,” Putin said.
He added that Russia had been seeking to provide Iran with assistance during the difficult period, including supplies of necessary goods.
Despite the tensions, Moscow and Tehran had maintained the momentum of their trade and economic cooperation from the previous year, he noted.
The Russian president pointed to the regular work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission and the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran as factors supporting economic ties.
Putin also highlighted growing humanitarian and educational cooperation, saying the number of Iranian students in Russia had approached 9,000 in the 2025-2026 academic year. Of them, 802 were studying with financial support from the Russian state, he said.
For his part, Pezeshkian said Iran supported Russia’s position on moving away from a unipolar world order. He described relations between Tehran and Moscow as "strategic" and said they "helped Iran confront the United States."
The Iranian president also expressed confidence that Iran would emerge victorious from its confrontation with Washington.
The meeting took place as the two leaders attended the SCO summit in Bishkek, which marks the organization’s 25th anniversary and brings together the leaders of its member states and invited partners.
