An editorial in the Iranian newspaper Jomhuri Eslami cautioned Iranian authorities recently that Russia may prioritize its own interests over Iran’s amid ongoing talks between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin, Makor Rishon reported Sunday.
The government-controlled Jomhuri Eslami is one of Iran’s most influential newspapers and has strong ties to the regime. In the past, it was directly overseen by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi serving as its editor-in-chief. Its publisher was appointed directly by the Supreme Leader.
In a meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last Tuesday, Russia and the US agreed to begin efforts to end the war in Ukraine and strengthen their diplomatic and economic relations. The two countries’ top diplomats noted that the talks marked a significant shift in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump.
The Islamic Republic is concerned that these discussions could result in an agreement between Moscow and Washington, where Russia gains territory in Ukraine in exchange for allowing the US greater influence in protecting Israel’s interests in the Middle East. Such an arrangement would potentially undermine Iran’s power in the region.
The article, widely quoted in Iranian media, warned that “Iran will be drawn into this equation alongside Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine… and Russia will turn a blind eye to any actions the U.S. may take against Iran.” It also criticized Russia for not supporting Iranian forces in Syria during Israeli airstrikes on their positions, and for allegedly cooperating with the U.S. and Israel against Iran’s ally, Bashar al-Assad, as rebel forces advanced toward Damascus.
Similar concerns were raised in the newspaper Sharq, which published an article titled “Will Tehran be sacrificed in the Trump-Putin deal?” The article urged Iran’s leaders to quickly decide whether to resume direct negotiations with the US on its nuclear program, despite the Supreme Leader’s opposition to dialogue, especially with President Trump threatening to tighten sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Sharq argued that any agreement between Trump and Putin would primarily impact European countries supporting Ukraine. However, it acknowledged that Iran’s position could become a bargaining chip in future talks, given Moscow’s involvement in the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, from which Trump withdrew in 2018.
Russia’s Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, attempted to allay Iranian fears in an interview last Tuesday with IRNA, in which he said the cooperation between Iran and Russia is independent of the relations between the Kremlin and the White House.
The spokesperson’s comments followed a phone conversation between President Putin and his US counterpart Trump on February 12. During the call, the two leaders agreed to arrange an in-person meeting, and the Kremlin indicated that Iran’s nuclear program was among the topics they discussed.
According to Peskov, the Iranian nuclear program was mentioned during the phone call between the two presidents; however, this issue was not a primary focus, as the main topic was the comprehensive restoration of Russia-US relations.
He further said that Moscow values its partnership with Iran and intends to expand these relations comprehensively, including efforts to address major issues like the nuclear program.
