Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin a week after the Russian leader said Israel requested he convey to Iran its desire to avoid confrontation.
The contents of the veteran theocrat's message were not disclosed and it was not clear if it came in response to the Israeli missive Putin had previously mentioned.
Ali Larijani, the chief of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Thursday that he had relayed the message in his meeting with Putin in Moscow.
The two met, according to a statement on Larijani's Telegram account, "to convey the Supreme Leader's message and discuss bilateral issues, as well as economic, regional and international cooperation between Tehran and Moscow."
While on a visit to Tajikistan last week, Putin said Israel had reached out to enlist Moscow's aid in transmitting to Tehran its peaceful intentions.
“We continue our trusted contacts with Israel and are receiving signals from the Israeli leadership asking us to convey to our Iranian friends that Israel is focused on further settlement and is not interested in any form of confrontation,” Putin said, according to Russian state media agency TASS.
"The Iranian nuclear issue can only be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations. We have close contacts with Iranian partners and feel that they are ready to find mutually acceptable solutions and resume constructive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," he added.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Russia's shuttle diplomacy in an interview broadcast days later on Iranian state TV.
"There was a phone call between Putin and Netanyahu three or four nights ago. The next day, they called our ambassador in Moscow and conveyed to us Netanyahu's message that there would be no more war with our country," he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Russia would help Iran meet its military needs even after European-triggered international sanctions further restricts trade with Tehran.
The comments may signal stepped-up security cooperation between the two heavily-sanctioned powers deeply at odds with Washington and the West.
While Iranian-designed drones have been key to Russia's war effort against Ukraine, Moscow provided little support during the brief summer war.
The two countries have signed a long-term security framework, but Russia’s restraint underscores the limits of its backing.
Earlier this month, leaked Russian defense documents indicated Iran had signed a €6 billion deal to buy 48 Su-35 fighter jets from Moscow, with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2028.
