Al-Monitor - Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, talked with Iranian television to discuss his latest trip to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin. According to Velayati, during the two-hour meeting, which was “clear, constructive and friendly,” the two discussed a number of issues pertinent to both countries, such as energy and the region.


The meeting comes at a significant time for Iran. With the American exit from the Iranian nuclear deal, the reinstatement of US sanctions, particularly oil sanctions, coupled with increasing tension between Iran and Israel on Syria’s southern border, Iran will need to more deeply rely on Russia’s political and economic clout.

According to Velayati, trade between Iran and Russia increased by 36% in the first four months of 2018. During the interview, Velayati disclosed that a Russian oil company recently signed a $4 billion contract with Iran’s Ministry of Oil. He added that the Russian oil company Rosneft and gas company Gazprom are in talks with Tehran for a $10 billion contract.

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