‘We can resist US unilateralism’: Iran president tells Putin on sidelines of SCO summit

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s position on the war involving Iran and the sanctions imposed on Tehran, saying Russia and Iran could together resist what he called US “unilateralism”.The remarks were made during a meeting between Pezeshkian and Putin in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, according to Reuters and Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.Pezeshkian said the United States had no right to impose sanctions or violate international law, while thanking Russia for its position on the conflict and the resulting sanctions.“We can resist US unilateralism,” Pezeshkian told Putin, according to TASS.Putin, meanwhile, said Russia had welcomed the signing of a memorandum between Iran and the United States, but regretted that the resulting ceasefire had proved fragile.The Putin-Pezeshkian meeting comes as Russia and Iran seek to deepen their ties amid tensions with the United States. Pezeshkian’s comments also underline Tehran’s reliance on Moscow as it faces continued pressure from Washington over the war and sanctions.