How Lavrov's Tehran visit tests limits of Russia's influence over Iran
As Tehran looks for an off-ramp from renewed conflict, Moscow is positioning itself as a diplomatic partner while pushing Iran to deliver on long-delayed economic deals.
TEHRAN — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's meetings in Tehran on Monday offered a glimpse of how Moscow and Tehran are seeking to navigate a conflict that threatens both countries' interests, albeit in different ways.
Iranian officials welcomed Russia's support and discussed the possibility of renewed diplomacy with Washington, while President Masoud Pezeshkian pressed for progress on agreements covering energy, transport and trade.
The country's media, meanwhile, suggested that Lavrov had arrived with a special mission to help revive negotiations. Yet whether Moscow can translate its close ties with Tehran into meaningful diplomatic leverage remains an open question.
The stakes extend beyond ending US-Iran hostilities. Russia wants to preserve a strategic partner, protect its regional investments and maintain its credentials as a power capable of influencing Middle Eastern affairs.
