Tehran, Moscow differ on Syria, but share interests elsewhere
Russia and Iran are cautious about labeling their relationship an alliance, but when they say it is a partnership, they mean it.
MOSCOW — On Jan. 28, Russia's special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin landed in Jerusalem for two days of talks with their Israeli colleagues. Yuval Rotem, director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, was among the first to host the Russian officials.
“We had a meaningful and insightful discussion about a variety of regional issues,” Rotem wrote on Twitter, calling the overall meeting productive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top-level Israeli officials also met with the Russians. The discussions centered around Iran and the situation in Syria, as well as “strengthening the security coordination mechanism between [our] armies to prevent any friction,” Netanyahu tweeted after the meeting. “They repeated Russia's commitment to maintaining Israel's national security,” he later added.
Just as the Russian emissaries were discussing Syria and Iran with the Israelis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, back in Moscow, received a call from his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
