This week, Iranian President Peskhikyan met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Tehran. Previously, Lavrov stated that despite the "grim situation," Russia would fulfill its economic agreement with Iran. Meanwhile, relations between Ukraine and the United States are facing a crisis. US President Trump's attitude towards Ukrainian leader Zelensky has become increasingly harsh. The US clearly wants Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian energy facilities. Furthermore, the US has decided to ease sanctions against Russia.
On the other hand, the US appears to be preparing for a possible escalation of conflict with Iran. Trump has expressed support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to remain in power and hinted that the US can only maintain a war posture against Iran by cooperating with Netanyahu. Therefore, Lavrov's visit to Iran comes at a crucial moment.
The Jerusalem Post analysis suggests that with Russia and Pakistan holding high-level meetings with Iran, it is clear that Iran believes it holds a dominant position in regional developments. Russia, on the other hand, believes it holds the initiative in global developments. Russia hopes the US will abandon Ukraine. Both Iran and Russia are attempting to use the upcoming US election to advance their own interests.
