Nuclear cuisine: what was discussed at the talks between Russia and Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has arrived in Moscow. This is his third visit to the Russian capital over the past year. The Iranian diplomat held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and other senior officials. One of the key topics is the prospects of the Iranian nuclear program. The role of Russia in this issue is described in the Izvestia article.

Strategic partnership

The main event of this year in Russian-Iranian relations was the signing of a strategic partnership agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. This document establishes the special character of bilateral cooperation and defines the main areas of cooperation for the next 20 years.

During the talks, the parties discussed a wide range of regional and international issues. On the agenda: the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, the situation in the Middle East, primarily in the Palestinian territories. Following the meeting, a consultation plan was signed between the Foreign Ministries of both countries for 2026-2028.

In turn, Araqchi separately thanked Moscow for its support at the time of the American and Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. "I would like to thank you separately for Iran's support during the attacks by the United States and Israel against our nuclear facilities. Of course, we need to hold consultations about possible future developments," he added.

The nuclear agenda is being updated against the background of the lack of progress in the negotiations between the Islamic Republic and Western capitals. At the end of September this year, the UN Security Council reimposed sanctions against Tehran over the country's nuclear program.

The talks in Moscow took place against the background of positive signals in bilateral relations. According to Iranian media reports, a Russian citizen detained in 2024 was released in Tehran last weekend. It is not specified in which case he was serving his sentence.

Abbas Araqchi's previous visit to Moscow took place in June 2025. Then he held a meeting with Vladimir Putin against the backdrop of US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. There is no scheduled meeting with the Russian leader during the current visit.

Better conditions

Relations between Russia and Iran are developing rapidly. The trade turnover between the two countries increased by 13% last year, and by another 8% this year, the Russian president said.

However, as Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets, noted in an interview with Izvestia, this is just the beginning. According to him, after the free trade agreement with the EAEU came into force in May, the trade turnover increased by 35% in three months, and Russian exports increased by 50% at once. Currently, 87% of mutual trade is exempt from customs duties — Russia does not have similar conditions with any other country.

"Russia is definitely interested in the Iranian market," the expert emphasizes. — It's not just about trade, but about long-term strategic projects that are changing the economic landscape of the region. In September, Rosatom signed a $25 billion agreement on the construction of the Hormoz nuclear power plant — four power units with a total capacity of 5 gigawatts.

In parallel, work is underway on small nuclear power plants and the completion of new units at the Bushehr NPP, Rastorguev recalls. Nuclear energy is a flagship field that gives Russia a strong foothold in Iran for decades to come.

Another key project is the North—South international transport corridor. Iran has already transferred another 34 km of land to Russia for the construction of the Rasht—Astara railway. Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian said at a meeting with Vladimir Putin on December 12 that the site would be completed by the end of the year.

— This corridor will connect Russia with the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, opening up new logistical opportunities. In 2024, freight traffic on the MTK eastern route almost tripled to 2 million tons. Gas projects, electric power industry, and agriculture are also on the agenda. The potential is really huge, and we are only at the very beginning of its realization," Igor Rastorguev summed up.

The Nuclear Agenda

Russia can potentially play the role of a guarantor of possible agreements between Iran and Western countries, political analyst Kamran Hasanov told Izvestia. According to him, if an agreement is reached on lifting sanctions and consolidating the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program, Moscow is able to act as a party ensuring its implementation.

"We can talk about controlling sensitive elements of the program, for example, the storage or export of enriched uranium outside Iran, which theoretically can be used to create nuclear weapons," the expert noted.

In an interview with Izvestia, INF expert Anton Mardasov also stressed that Tehran considers the nuclear factor as a tool for diplomatic pressure and negotiations.

— In general, Moscow can provide Iran with advisory support, including on the development of missile technologies. However, Russia has consistently advocated de—escalation of the situation and, consequently, against the appearance of missile weapons with nuclear warheads in Tehran," he explained.

According to Mardasov, the Russian factor is important for Iran not only in terms of support at the UN, but also in the context of promoting initiatives in the field of regional security.

Experts agree that the rapprochement between Moscow and Tehran should be considered as part of the process of forming a new multipolar world order, although the parties' ideas about its structure differ in many ways.

— Tehran often expects more active support from its allies, which is related, among other things, to the religious component of its strategy and tactics. At the same time, pragmatic cooperation allows the parties to form an informal bloc, which is especially important for restructuring logistics and expanding economic ties. In the current conditions, the economy often turns out to be more important than military-technical cooperation," Mardasov concluded.