TEHRAN – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani spent a day in Moscow on Thursday. The main purpose of his visit was to convey a message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, to President Vladimir Putin, though neither side has elaborated on what the message contained.

The only official details of the high-ranking meeting came from Larijani himself, who stated on his Telegram channel that the two sides discussed a range of issues, including bilateral relations, economic cooperation, regional developments, and international affairs. He also posted an old photo of one of his previous meetings with Putin on his X account.

This marks the second time Larijani has spoken to Putin face-to-face since he became Iran's top security official in June. Larijani is a veteran statesman who has served in several important roles within Iran's political system, but he became more active on the Iranian political and international stage after the country was forced to fight a 12-day war against Israel and the United States in the same month he was appointed. The Trump administration helped Israel strike Iran's nuclear, civilian, and military infrastructure, and joined the war directly in the concluding days.

The meeting comes at a time when Iran is preparing to defend against a second potential round of aggression from Israel and the United States. Iran did not ask its allies, including Russia, for military aid during the 12-day war. However, the country may attempt to rectify aspects of its military that did not perform to expectations this past June, including its defense systems. A commander within Iran's air defense unit told the Tehran Times one month ago that the country is rapidly improving its capabilities.

Unverified reports suggest Israel is concerned about potential Russian military assistance to Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu allegedly told Putin during a recent phone call that Israel would increase military aid to Ukraine if Russia helped Iran. This report, however, was not confirmed by Putin, who later said at a Tajikistan summit that Netanyahu had assured him he was not seeking confrontation with Iran. The Tehran Times understands that Iranian political and military officials have not taken Netanyahu’s message seriously, anticipating that a second war could erupt at any time.

This high plausibility of a second war is partly rooted in Western intransigence on other matters, which has led to increased pressure on Iran. To tighten constraints on the country’s economy, the E3 (Germany, Britain, and France) reinstated anti-Iran UN sanctions last month, which had been lifted under the 2015 JCPOA deal. The practical effects of these sanctions are considered limited, as they do not exceed the stringent embargoes Washington imposed against Iran back in 2018 when it withdrew from the JCPOA and left it in shambles. But their activation still sent Iran's currency market into a tailspin, plunging the value of the Iranian Rial.

While the extent of post-war military exchanges between Iran and Russia remains unknown, Moscow has fully supported Iran regarding the JCPOA and the reverberations of the failed pact. In a statement published on Friday, Russia's Foreign Ministry noted that all remaining UN restrictions on Iran, originally established by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, were set to expire on October 18. It emphasized that the Security Council should then conclude discussions on Iran's nuclear program; following this expiration, Russia's cooperation with Iran will proceed under national and international law, building upon their comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, which was signed in January 2025 and officially enacted earlier this month.