MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have remained in close contact since the start of US and Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said.
“As for our political interaction, our relations continue [to develop] within international organizations. Our presidents maintain very good contact. The foreign ministers of the two countries [Sergey Lavrov and Abbas Araghchi] also have a very strong working relationship,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a reception marking Iran’s National Army Day.
According to the diplomat, Putin and Pezeshkian have held three phone calls since the start of the US-Israeli military operation against Iran.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a large-scale operation against Iran. On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Tehran. According to the Iranian side, a total of 3,375 Iranians died as a result of US and Israeli attacks over the 40 days of war. On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. Both Tehran and Washington reported that the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement due to a number of contradictions. On April 21, the US leader announced on Truth Social that Washington intends to extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire in a few hours. According to the Iranian state broadcaster, Tehran does not intend to comply with Washington’s unilaterally announced extension of the ceasefire and will prioritize its own interests.
