The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, told his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, this Thursday in a meeting in the Kremlin, that it was vital to discuss the question of Palestine. Raisi has accused the West of supporting Israel’s “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza: “A child dies every 10 minutes,” he said.
The Iranian president has asserted that “so far more than 6,000 children have been murdered” in Gaza, and assured that this is happening “with the support of the United States and the West.”
Raisi responded by saying that Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip amounted to genocide and that the bombings must end as soon as possible.
“This is something that concerns not only the Middle East region, but all of humanity and requires a quick solution,” he said.
Putin, in turn, highlighted in his welcoming remarks that “it is very important for us to exchange views on the regional situation, especially with regard to the situation in Palestine.”
In addition, he accepted the invitation to travel to Tehran, where he already visited in July of last year.
Iran backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, in its war with Israel. Israel has previously claimed that accusations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target militants from the Hamas group that rules Gaza, not civilians.
The Russian president visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this Wednesday as part of a whirlwind trip during which he also addressed the Middle East conflict.
Analysts say the Gaza conflict has helped Russia by diverting world attention from the war in Ukraine and allowing Moscow to align with other countries in solidarity with the Palestinians.