'Not a secret': Iran admits extensive cooperation with Russia
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (photo: Getty Images)
Iran has officially confirmed its close partnership with Russia and rejected the possibility of a ceasefire with Israel, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Waiver of ceasefire
The head of Iran's diplomatic service stressed that Tehran sees no prospects for new agreements.
He accused the United States and Israel of violating previous deals, saying that under such circumstances, any talks make no sense.
"There needs to be a permanent end to the war. Unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security," Araghchi said.
Cooperation with Russia, missile program
The minister confirmed close cooperation with Moscow, calling the partnership "not a secret," though he avoided specifics on whether Russia provided intelligence about US naval movements.
He also rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that Iran is developing intercontinental missiles capable of striking the United States.
Araghchi insisted that Iran has deliberately limited the range of its weapons.
"You know, we have capability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000 kilometers of range because we don't want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world," he said.
Khamenei's successor
Regarding the selection of a new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Araghchi said the process is strictly Iran's "domestic affairs."
He added that the Assembly of Experts is already working on the issue, but no official name has been announced yet.
Iran situation
Recently, US President Donald Trump said he wants to influence the choice of Iran's next supreme leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He stressed that Washington will not allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.
At the same time, Russia's role in conflicts in the Middle East and Europe is becoming increasingly active. In particular, British intelligence is investigating a possible Kremlin link in an incident involving drones that attacked a British carrier strike group.
Meanwhile, Moscow has stated that Russia is not a "neutral" and supports Iran in its conflict with Israel, arguing that the actions of Western countries in the situation are unfair.
