According to an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker, Amir Hussein Abdollahian, Iran’s supreme leader sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the need to strengthen ties and the status of the nuclear deal.

Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf travelled to Moscow to personally deliver the letter from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Abdollahian, who published the note on Khamenei’s website Khamenei.ir, “This trip was timed for when there are new tenants in the White House and sends Iran's allies the message that we will not be delayed any longer with White House's games with respect to the nuclear deal.” 

The United States exited the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 and reapplied sanctions on Iran, severely impacting the country's economy. Iran, citing Article 37 of the agreement, took steps to reduce its compliance with the JCPOA but technically remained within the agreement. Now the two sides are debating which will return to full compliance first. 

The letter also emphasized the need to focus on Asia. “The 21st century is the Asian century,” Abdollahian wrote, adding that many Asian countries including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia have significant roles to play and many of them have not yet realized their full capabilities.