Source: Top Russian defense official in Tehran to cultivate stronger security ties | The Times of Israel
Russia’s National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran Monday for a series of meetings with Iranian counterparts, Russian and Iranian news agencies reported, amid fears of a wider war in the region following last week’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Russia’s state Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies reported that Shoigu, Russia’s former defense secretary, was scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian; and chief of the Iranian military’s General Staff, Mohammad Bagheri.
The visit was at the invitation of Ahmadian, Iran’s local Tasnim news agency reported. It said the visit’s aim was “strengthening interactions, the examination of regional and international issues, and bilateral political security relations.”
Russia on Friday “strongly condemned” the killing of Haniyeh, head of the Hamas terror group’s Doha-based political bureau, in Tehran Wednesday. Moscow warned against “the extremely dangerous consequences of such actions.”
Diplomatic efforts have increased to avert an all-out war after Iran vowed to exact “harsh punishment” on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its part in the assassination. On Sunday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made a rare visit to Tehran to discuss “regional developments.”
据俄罗斯和伊朗新闻机构报道，俄罗斯国家安全委员会秘书谢尔盖·绍伊古周一抵达德黑兰，与伊朗同行举行一系列会议，原因是人们担心上周哈马斯领导人伊斯梅尔·哈尼亚在伊朗被杀后该地区会爆发更广泛的战争。 俄罗斯国家通讯社塔斯社和俄新社报道称，俄罗斯前国防部长绍伊古计划会见伊朗总统马苏德·佩泽什基安；最高国家安全委员会秘书阿里·阿克巴尔·艾哈迈迪安；伊朗军方总参谋长穆罕默德·巴盖里。 据伊朗当地塔斯尼姆通讯社报道，此次访问是应艾哈迈迪安的邀请。声明称，此次访问的目的是“加强互动、研究地区和国际问题以及双边政治安全关系”。 俄罗斯周五“强烈谴责”周三在德黑兰杀害在多哈的哈马斯恐怖组织政治局负责人哈尼亚。莫斯科警告称，“此类行为将带来极其危险的后果”。 在伊朗誓言要对以色列实施“严厉惩罚”之后，为避免全面战争而加大了外交努力，而以色列既没有证实也没有否认自己参与了暗杀行动。周日，约旦外交部长艾曼·萨法迪罕见地访问德黑兰，讨论“地区发展势态”。
