Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, believes that a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may take place on the sidelines of the summit of countries bordering the Caspian Sea, which Tehran is scheduled to host this year.
In a statement to the Russian “Novosti” agency, Jalali said that this meeting may fall within the usual bilateral meetings on the sidelines of international summits.
The Iranian ambassador explained that the timing of the meeting depends on overcoming the current stage of military escalation, in reference to the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
He added: “Of course, all of this must be postponed until we pass this period, but in any case, the date of the summit of the countries bordering the Caspian Sea in Tehran has been set for this year, and if the summit is held – and I am confident that it will be held – a number of bilateral meetings will be held during it, as is usual.”
Jalali also noted Iran’s appreciation for the condolence messages sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
He expressed his thanks to Putin for congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei on the occasion of his election as Supreme Leader of Iran, succeeding his father, to become the third leader of the Islamic Revolution in the country.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had announced in December 2025 that the summit of the countries bordering the Caspian Sea would be held in Tehran on August 12, 2026.
This summit brings together the leaders of the five countries bordering the Caspian Sea, namely Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
It is noteworthy that these statements come in light of the noticeable military escalation that Iran has witnessed since late last February with the outbreak of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Tehran.
Although the war continues for the second week, the Iranian authorities have not yet announced any decision regarding postponing or canceling the Caspian Summit scheduled in Tehran this year.
