Moscow, Tehran build bridge of cooperation in energy, struggle with terrorism

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (L), who arrived to attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, meets with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 23, 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a visit to Iran’s supreme leader in Tehran on Monday and brought along two coveted deals.

Moscow and Tehran have been key backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout the civil war which has killed more than 250,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

“Strikes by Russia’s air group against Islamic State positions and operations by the Syrian government army and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have not yet changed the balance of force between the terrorists and Damascus in favor of the legitimate Syrian authorities yet”.

Chief among those opposed to Assad’s government is the United States, which has long backed Syrian rebel fighters and engaged in numerous actions aimed at dethroning him.

Meanwhile, the US State Department has said that it only wanted a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis. But some have speculated that Moscow could be prepared to see Assad phased out of power as part of a deal that would guarantee stability in Syria and protect Russia’s interests there.

However the most extraordinary thing about Putin’s visit to Tehran is that it takes the veil off a strategic decision taken by the Kremlin to elevate Russia-Iran relationship to a qualitatively new level.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the “US has a long-term plot to take control of the whole of West Asia by dominating Syria and then expanding its dominion over the entire region, saying, “This plot is a threat to all nations and countries, particularly Russian Federation and Iran”.

Iran’s cooperation with Russian Federation, including interaction in the struggle with terrorism and in the energy sphere is a bright example”, Mirsky said.

Attention is now focused on stopping Islamic State group jihadists, who a year ago seized large parts of Syria before surging into Iraq.

Both Iran and Russian Federation, which has a major sea port base in Syria, are seeking to limit USA leverage in the Middle East.

“We are planning to increase gas exports in the Asian direction from six to 30 percent, to 128 billion cubic meters”, the Russian president said.

Meanwhile, two other MoUs were signed between the deputy chairman of Iran’s Central Bank and the president of the Russian state-owned Vonesh Economic Bank as well as with the Russian Export Credit Insurance Agency (Akzir).

But Moscow s aim of an worldwide coalition made up of Iran, Jordan and other regional and Western countries against IS is coming up against deadlock over Assad s future, which recent peace talks in Vienna failed to break.