Putin meets Iranian leader, Netanyahu left waiting

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived on Friday for a visit to Turkmenistan, where he is participating in an international forum with leaders of Central Asian countries, including the president of Iran.

According to the Kremlin, Putin met with Iranian President Masoud Pazshekian on the sidelines of the conference in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Russia reports that Putin has no plans to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about tensions in the region in the near future.

Two days ago, the Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli attack in Damascus and called on Israel to respect Syria's sovereignty. Russia also claims that Hezbollah is still organized and has not lost its chain of command despite Israeli strikes.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of closer relations between Moscow and Tehran. In 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the two countries signed a deal worth $1.7 billion to export unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran to Russia. The United States believes Iran has even delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. In his opening remarks at the forum, Putin reiterated his desire to build a "new world order" with Russia's friends and partners.

* Mako contributed to this article.