Summary

TEHRAN, October 21. /TASS/. Russia’s continued partnership with Iran puts Moscow in a strong position to advance its own peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict between Tehran and Washington and preventing a resumption of hostilities, Oleg Akulinichev, an expert on Iran and Middle Eastern affairs, told TASS. On October 8, US President Donald Trump said Washington did not intend to launch strikes against Iran before the US midterm congressional elections scheduled for November 3. "This is clearly a continuation of a hybrid war in which military pressure, a blockade and cyber operations all serve a single purpose: to force Tehran to capitulate. The threat of renewed missile strikes, both before and after November 3, remains," Akulinichev said, commenting on Trump’s recent statements. Against this backdrop, Moscow’s continued diplomatic engagement with Tehran gives Russia an opportunity to advance a peace initiative, the expert said. One possible step, he suggested, would be to convene an international conference to develop a new, inclusive security architecture for the region. Akulinichev noted that questions remain over the sincerity of Trump’s pledge to refrain from strikes at least until November 3, particularly amid the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf and increasingly frequent contacts between American and Israeli officials. The success of Russia’s initiative, he concluded, will depend on "how quickly Moscow can convert the current level of trust with Iran into a concrete negotiating formula, before the US military machine is set in motion." On October 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Tehran for a working visit. During his stay, he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.