Security chief General Rezaei makes clear that neither talks with Washington nor reopening the Strait of Hormuz is on the agenda until all seven Iranian conditions are met, as Putin condemns U.S.-Israeli aggression and discusses closer strategic coordination with Iran.

MOSCOW -- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei has delivered a message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a high-level meeting at the Kremlin, conveying Tehran’s position on the war with the U.S. and Israel, postwar regional security arrangements and the future of strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Rezaei said the Leader had instructed him to deliver the message to Putin as soon as possible. The Russian president, in response, conveyed his warm greetings to Ayatollah Khamenei.

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali provided details about the significance of the meeting, describing it as Rezaei’s first encounter with Putin in his capacity as the Leader’s representative and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Jalali said the discussions lasted approximately three hours and focused on advancing the broad agenda of relations between Tehran and Moscow, alongside consultations on regional and international developments.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining direct and high-level communication between the two countries, particularly amid the recent military aggression by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.

Jalali said Russia stood on the right side of history during the two recent wars of aggression against Iran, adding that explaining Iran’s positions directly and at the highest political level will help Moscow maintain its principled approach.

A major issue discussed during the meeting was the future of the war and the conditions under which Iran would consider diplomatic engagement with Washington.

Rezaei said, “On the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations.”

He stressed that partial compliance or unsatisfactory responses will not be sufficient, maintaining that all seven conditions must be fulfilled.

A senior Iranian political-security source subsequently rejected Western media reports suggesting that Rezaei had presented Putin with a new diplomatic initiative. The source described such claims as fabricated and emphasized that the principal subject of the discussions was securing compliance with Iran’s demands to end the war.

Rezaei said Putin strongly condemned the U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran, including the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to the Iranian official, the Russian president described the war as unjust and called for its immediate termination. Rezaei said Putin had also expressed Moscow’s readiness to provide whatever assistance it could to help end the war.

The Iranian official added that considerable attention was devoted to the postwar period, particularly the establishment of regional security arrangements.

He said the two sides discussed the need for countries in West Asia to assume greater responsibility for their own security rather than relying on external powers.

Rezaei also briefed Putin on a quadrilateral regional meeting involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan and the Russian president welcomed the initiative.

Energy cooperation was another important subject of the Kremlin meeting. Rezaei announced that the two sides had discussed an arrangement for constructing gas pipelines connecting Russia and Iran.

He said the proposed infrastructure could help Iran address domestic natural gas shortages while allowing the country to receive Russian gas and distribute it to neighboring markets.

“An agreement was reached on building gas pipelines from Russia to Iran so that Iran can both overcome its gas shortages and sell Russian gas to neighboring countries,” Rezaei said.

The proposal could potentially strengthen Iran’s position as a regional energy transit and distribution hub while providing Russia with additional access to markets in neighboring countries.

For Tehran, importing Russian gas could complement domestic production during periods of high consumption. For Moscow, cooperation with Iran could create additional opportunities for energy exports amid continuing Western restrictions.

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) was also discussed during the visit, according to Iranian national broadcaster IRIB.

The multimodal transport network is designed to connect Russia and other northern Eurasian markets with Iran, the Persian Gulf and destinations further south through a combination of maritime, railway and road infrastructure.

Developing the corridor would strengthen Iran’s position as a regional transit hub while providing Russia with additional access to southern markets.

The discussions form part of broader efforts to implement the 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Iran and Russia, which provides a framework for expanding political, economic, security, defense and technological cooperation.

Both countries have repeatedly stressed the importance of moving beyond political commitments and accelerating the implementation of practical bilateral projects.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both countries. Rezaei was accompanied by SNSC Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri Kani and Ambassador Kazem Jalali.

Putin was joined by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry.

The visit followed a telephone conversation between Rezaei and Putin earlier in the week, during which the two officials discussed regional and international developments and emphasized the continuation of strategic cooperation.