Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, met with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev to discuss bilateral cooperation and recent international developments.

Mousavi highlighted Russia’s “very firm and solid” stance at the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the Israeli regime’s recent attacks on Iran. He stressed that Iran has never been the initiator of war and that diplomacy remains the nation’s preferred approach for resolving disputes.

“The enemy used negotiations as a cover for deceit, ultimately initiating an imposed war against Iran. However, our armed forces responded decisively and powerfully to the United States and Israel,” Mousavi said.

Minister Tsivilev expressed condolences over the loss of Iranian commanders and scientists in Israeli attacks and voiced full support for enhancing joint commissions to strengthen cooperation.

Both officials underscored the urgent need for Iran and Russia to elevate their economic and defense collaborations to the highest levels, particularly in the context of severe Western sanctions impacting both nations.

On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran, triggering a 12-day war that killed at least 1,064 people in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

The United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of international law.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the terrorist aggression.