Russian President Putin to visit Iran in August
home page

Russian President Putin to visit Iran in August

By Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org July 26, 2013, 5:42 pm 0 Edit
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Credit: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Credit: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit Tehran next month in an attempt to restart talks over Iran’s nuclear program, Russian media reported.

The visit is reportedly scheduled for either August 12 or 16, according to Iranian and Russian foreign ministry officials speaking with Russian daily Kommersant. The trip would take place only a few days after Iranian President-elect Hasan Rouhani is inaugurated into office.

Putin may offer the Iranians an alternative to the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system—after the Russian-Iranian arms deal was frozen over Israeli and American pressure on the Kremlin. According to the report, Moscow would instead offer the S-300VM system, which is designed to defend against ballistic, cruise and air-to-surface missile attacks.The British Foreign Office, meanwhile, announced that it would boycott Rouhani’s inaugural ceremony, declining to send a diplomatic representative. There has been no British diplomatic staff in Tehran since November 2011, when a mob of protesters ransacked the U.K.’s embassy and residential compound.

comments