Moscow, Russia – In a diplomatic gesture with deep political implications, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iranian leaders on the occasion of Nowruz (the Iranian New Year), stressing that Moscow remains a “loyal friend and reliable partner” of Tehran, according to an announcement by the Kremlin on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Messages of solidarity in times of hardship
The Kremlin reported that Putin sent congratulatory telegrams to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian. The official statement from the Russian presidency read: “Vladimir Putin wished the Iranian people success in overcoming their difficult circumstances with dignity and emphasized that Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran during this trying time.” These statements come at a highly sensitive time, as Russia has described the ongoing US and Israeli attacks on Iran as having pushed the entire Middle East to the brink of collapse and triggered a major global energy crisis. Putin had previously condemned the assassination of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a “cynical” murder.
Dispute over the “truth of Russian support”
Despite the diplomatic niceties, the extent of Moscow’s actual support for Tehran remains a subject of considerable debate. Reports from informed Iranian sources indicate that Tehran has received “little real, tangible assistance” from Moscow in confronting the current crisis, considered the most serious since the overthrow of the Shah in the 1979 revolution. Observers believe that Moscow’s reliance on verbal condemnations and diplomatic congratulations raises questions about the limits of the “Russian-Iranian” strategic alliance when faced with major military challenges, especially given Russia’s involvement on other fronts and the escalating global tensions that threaten the stability of international energy markets.
