While Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday, December 25, about a meeting last week between Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, and the President of Russia in Moscow, the Kremlin denied this report on the same day. The Russian news agency Itar-Tass wrote on Wednesday that a reporter from this agency asked Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, whether the meeting between Soleimani and Putin actually took place, to which Peskov replied: 'No.' Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday in its English section, citing 'unofficial informed sources,' that Qassem Soleimani made a three-day trip to Moscow last week to meet with Vladimir Putin and Russian military commanders. According to this news agency, Vladimir Putin even referred to Qassem Soleimani as his 'friend' during this meeting. The Lebanese television network Al-Mayadeen also claimed on the same day that the topic of the Quds Force commander's trip to Moscow has been confirmed. Following the publication of this news, Ramadan Sharif, the public relations officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated in an interview with ISNA that 'I have not had any discussions with Al-Mayadeen or any other media regarding this matter, and we will not engage in this issue either negatively or positively.' ISNA reports that the IRGC's public relations officer denies any comments from the IRGC regarding the publication of news about the Quds Force commander's trip to Russia. Meanwhile, according to ISNA, Ali Akbar Velayati, the international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, recently mentioned in a television program that Qassem Soleimani's trips are 'normal and occur according to the current routine.' Earlier in mid-August, Reuters published a report about Qassem Soleimani's trip to Russia, which was met with a reaction from the United States. However, at that time, Moscow denied reports about Mr. Soleimani's trip to Russia. Qassem Soleimani is on the United Nations sanctions list, which obliges other countries to deny him travel. The United States placed Qassem Soleimani on its sanctions list in 2007 due to his role in supporting terrorism, and the European Union also sanctioned the Quds Force commander in 2011. The Quds Force is the overseas branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Kremlin Denies Meeting Between Qassem Soleimani and Putin in Moscow
The Kremlin has denied reports of a meeting between Qassem Soleimani and Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which was initially reported by Fars News Agency. This denial comes amid ongoing tensions and scrutiny over Soleimani's international movements, particularly given his status on international sanctions lists. The situation highlights the complexities of Iran-Russia relations and the geopolitical implications of Soleimani's activities.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Kremlin denies meeting between Qassem Soleimani and Putin amid conflicting reports.
- Kremlin deny meeting between Qassem Soleimani and Putin
- Fars News Agency report Qassem Soleimani, Vladimir Putin
- Al-Mayadeen confirm Qassem Soleimani's trip to Moscow
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Kremlin's denial of the meeting underscores the delicate nature of Iran-Russia relations.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 90%