First Putin-Khamenei Meeting Likely at Caspian Sea Summit Later This Year, Iran's Ambassador Announces
Iran’s ambassador in Moscow said Vladimir Putin and Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei may meet during the Caspian Sea summit scheduled to take place in Tehran.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A high-level meeting between Russia and Iran is expected to take place later this year, with the first encounter between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei likely to occur on the sidelines of the Caspian Sea states summit in Tehran.
Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said on Saturday, that the anticipated meeting could take place during the summit of Caspian Sea littoral states scheduled to be hosted by Tehran.
Speaking in an interview with Russia’s Novosti news agency, Jalali said the gathering could provide the setting for the first meeting between Putin and Mojtaba Khamenei, who recently assumed the position of Iran’s supreme leader.
Jalali also expressed Iran’s appreciation toward the Russian president for the message of condolence he sent following the death of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
He added that Tehran also valued Putin’s congratulatory message sent last Sunday to Mojtaba Khamenei after he was chosen as the successor to his father and became the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had announced in December 2025 that the Caspian Sea summit would be held in Tehran on Aug. 12, 2026.
However, in late February, war broke out against Iran and has now entered its second week.
Despite the escalating conflict and the complex security environment, Tehran has not issued any official announcement about postponing or canceling the meeting of Caspian Sea leaders.
The anticipated Russia-Iran meeting comes amid broader diplomatic maneuvering linked to the ongoing war in the region.
According to a report by Axios, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently proposed transferring Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia as part of a potential arrangement aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran.
However, US President Donald Trump rejected the proposal, sources told the outlet.
If the summit proceeds as planned, it could mark the first direct meeting between Putin and Iran’s new supreme leader, signaling continued coordination between Moscow and Tehran during a period of heightened regional tensions.