Lavrov's Visit to Tehran; Strengthening Relations Amid Sanctions

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for meetings and discussions with officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to reports from Iranian state media, Lavrov is set to meet with Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister, and other officials of the Islamic Republic. Discussion topics include Syria, Yemen, and the nuclear agreement. The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that the latest developments in Syria and Yemen, as well as the future of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA), will be reviewed during this visit. The JCPOA, signed in 2015 between Tehran and world powers, collapsed in 2018 following the U.S. withdrawal under Donald Trump's administration, leading to the re-imposition of extensive sanctions against the Iranian government. Trump, who considers the JCPOA a 'very bad' deal, has once again put the 'maximum pressure' policy against the Iranian government on the agenda after returning to power this year. Closer cooperation between the Iranian and Russian governments under the pressure of sanctions has been observed. With the intensification of Western sanctions against Russia due to the Ukraine war, Moscow and Tehran have expanded their cooperation in economic and military fields in recent years. At the 2025 meeting of the conservative political action group known as CPAC, the Shahed 136 drone of the Islamic Republic, used by Russia in the war against Ukraine, was unveiled. This drone was transferred to the U.S. with the cooperation of the 'Alliance Against a Nuclear Iran' organization, chaired by former U.S. representative to the UN, Mark Wallace, who personally unveiled the drone during the CPAC meeting. Wallace stated that the goal of this unveiling was to show the true face of the Iranian regime. According to him, 'this is the most terrifying weapon of mass destruction in the world,' which targets not only Ukrainians but also American forces and Saudi and Emirati allies. A significant defeat in Syria; the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The Iranian and Russian governments experienced a serious defeat in Syria last December. After more than a decade of financial and military support for Bashar al-Assad's government, Islamist forces finally took control of Damascus and ousted Assad from power. These developments dealt a heavy blow to the regional policies of Tehran and Moscow, as both countries had invested billions of dollars in support of the Assad regime. Lavrov's visit to Tehran occurs at a time when the Iranian and Russian governments have become more dependent on each other than ever. International sanctions, military defeats in Syria, and increased Western pressures have turned Tehran and Moscow into closer allies seeking ways to maintain their regional influence and counter economic and political pressures. The approval of a U.S. resolution in the Security Council to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump: 'I am engaged in serious negotiations with Putin to end the Ukraine war.' Lavrov's visit to Tehran for bilateral negotiations and regional developments.