Moscow’s Middle East makeover: From Syria to Tehran, the game has changed

Last week, a series of high-profile events – including a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump and the visit of Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to Moscow – nearly overshadowed another meeting with far-reaching implications: the official visit to Moscow of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Larijani’s talks with Putin covered everything from energy and trade to regional crises. Yet what made the trip extraordinary was not the agenda, but the message. The Iranian envoy arrived carrying a personal letter from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a gesture that underscored the level of political trust between Moscow and Tehran and signaled that the two powers are deepening a long-term strategic dialogue despite mounting Western pressure.

This was Larijani’s second visit to Russia this year, following his July trip shortly after the 12-day Iran–Israel war. At that time, Tehran was eager to present its regional assessment and discuss the growing tensions around its nuclear program. Moscow, in turn, offered to help stabilize the situation and revive diplomatic channels. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov even reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to facilitate the revival of the nuclear deal and resume the export of enriched uranium for peaceful purposes.

For Washington, Iran remains a top strategic concern. Despite the Biden administration’s (and now Trump’s) focus on Ukraine and Gaza, the US cannot guarantee Israel’s security without addressing what it views as the “Iran problem.” In the eyes of American policymakers, a nuclear-armed Iran would upend the regional balance and unsettle Gulf monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE – all wary of Tehran’s growing influence among Shiite communities in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.