Hossein Amir Abdollahian as head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry: What will he be remembered for?

Abdollahian took over the post of foreign minister with the accession of President Ebrahim Raisi in 2021. Together, they built Iran's up-to-date foreign policy.

Sputnik has collected some of his most important moments to remember:

◾️Before coming to the post of foreign minister, Abdollahian specialized in relations with Arab countries;

◾️With his work, it became possible to normalize relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023, which had been extremely tense for several decades. At the same time, the two countries were able to establish bilateral trade and economic cooperation and also agreed on mutual understanding in matters of regional security;

◾️Iran became a member of the SCO (2023) and BRICS (2024);

◾️ In 2023, key visits to Moscow and Beijing took place for the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. On May 14, a few days before his death, Abdollahian announced Iran’s desire to develop a partnership with India within the SCO and BRICS;

◾️With the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in 2022, he openly expressed support for Russia. In negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2023, Abdollahian emphasized the “record figures with 20% growth” of trade turnover;

◾️Abdollahian regularly criticized the work of the UN Security Council - in particular due to its failure to put pressure on Israel and promptly help the Gaza population during current war;

◾️He was distinguished by sharp criticism of the policies of the collective West - primarily the US and Israel. In particular, he accused the US of "publicly supporting the killing of thousands of children and women in the Gaza Strip" by Israel;

◾️After the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Abdollahian promised "a proportionate response". A week after the strike, he personally flew to Damascus to open a new consulate in Syria.

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Zelensky emerges as ‘first obstacle’ to peaceful resolution of Ukrainian conflict

Next month's conference at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, touted by its organizers as an event to further the peace process in Ukraine, will most definitely be anything but a peace summit, says Swiss MP and former executive director of the Geneva Press Club Guy Mettan.

“The deliberate rejection of Russia is now jeopardizing the success of the meeting and returning against its organizers,” Mettan tells Sputnik, pointing out that Russia was not invited to participate in the conference.

“Aware of this problem, the Swiss official narrative is now trying to put forward that Russia didn’t wish to participate and that its absence came from its own decision, which is false and will not mislead anybody outside the collective West.”

According to Mettan, the countries of the Global South may end up sending their representatives to this gathering, though they will likely dispatch “medium-level participants with no-decision power, in order to avoid being accused of being ‘against the peace’ or of ‘boycotting the West’.”

“For the Global South, the present questions are: why should it participate in a summit which is no longer a summit, which is not focused on peace due to the non-invitation of Russia, and which will certainly be a failure?” he adds.

Mettan also argues that Kiev regime head Zelensky is in fact opposed to the “real negotiation process" as he signed a decree banning any peace talks with Russia and with his so-called peace formula essentially calling for Russia’s capitulation.

“He is the first obstacle to any peace negotiation. If he comes to Switzerland, it would be for receiving the support of his Western supporters and to get more aid for the war. Not for peace,” Mettan remarks.

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A mourning rally in memory of the deceased Iranian president is taking place in the center of Tehran

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🇮🇷🇷🇺 Sputnik recalls the brightest moments of Russian-Iranian relations during Ebrahim Raisi's presidency

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Are G7 countries happier to steal Russian assets after US ‘diplomatic push’?

Nations of the Group of 7 that were earlier reluctant to use Russian assets to fund the Kiev regime are “warming” to the idea after a US “diplomatic push”, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.

They were reluctant to say how exactly Washington changed the mind of peer politicians but admitted that the White House played the November election card and capitalized on fears that Donald Trump may completely abort US spending in Ukraine.

Washington is trying to push forward the discussion so that additional funds for Ukraine would become fait accompli for the new administration.

“Even if Trump wins, the money has already been deployed”, the diplomatic source admitted. The plan will likely be discussed at the G7 summit in June. This scheme - dubbed as “Trump-proofing” - will allow loans to the Kiev regime worth $50 billion.

This sum will be backed by future profits generated from roughly $350 billion of frozen Russian assets. Canada and the United Kingdom have already supported this plan, the source added.

France, Germany, Italy and Japan earlier voiced concern that such a move will create dangerous legal precedent of state property theft and trigger turmoil in global financial system. Vice-President of the European Central Bank Luis de Guindos admitted that this decision will undermine the position of the euro as a safe currency.

Numerous economists and financial analysts also warned that using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine will “supercharge de-dollarization” as businesses all around the globe will conclude that the Western economy is no longer a good option for investments.

Russian officials repeatedly stressed that such a move would violate international law and that Moscow will do everything possible to recuperate frozen assets. President Vladimir Putin dubbed the asset seizure as “unseemly business” and warned that “stealing other people’s assets has never brought anyone any good."

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🇮🇷 Iran's Election Commission has proposed holding presidential elections on June 28

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Farewell ceremony and funeral of the Iranian president will be held in Mashhad on May 23, according to Iran's vice president

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What could have caused Raisi’s helicopter crash? Veteran Russian pilot weighs in

Helicopters are all-weather vehicles, Vadim Bazykin, an honored Russian helicopter test pilot, tells Russian media as he comments on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s crash.

“A helicopter’s weakest point is, unfortunately, the crew because not many pilots are able to fly in bad weather,” Bazykin says, adding that an experienced crew should know the ABC of flying over mountainous terrain.

When entering an area with dense fog, pilots are obliged to calculate a safe height, he explains. According to him, Raisi’s helicopter seems to have flown below the permissible height.

“The fog is usually only 300-500 meters thick. The pilots should have checked meticulously if there was any chance to land and if not – they should have flown back. There are no other options,” the expert underscores.

Touching upon a possible technical defect of Raisi’s US-made Bell-212 helicopter, Bazykin emphasizes that security comes first when it comes to presidential vehicles.

He adds that even though the presidential helicopter was “a very reliable” yet outdated vehicle, it was almost surely equipped with new engines because of security considerations. “So there is no need to blame technical problems that caused the crash of Raisi’s vehicle," the expert concludes.

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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he opposes the expanded use of US-supplied Ukrainian weapons for strikes into Russian territory

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How Iran’s economic ties with Russia blossomed under Raisi

Over the years, Russia-Iran economic cooperation has proven to be a win-win partnership. Here’s a quick look at how bilateral ties picked up steam under the late Iranian president.

▪️When Ebrahim Raisi assumed power in 2021, Russia and Iran achieved a historic trade turnover of approximately $4 billion, despite severe sanctions and pandemic-related economic challenges.

▪️Under Raisi, and with Moscow’s engagement, economic cooperation kept expanding, with trade turnover reaching $4.6 billion in 2022, marking a 20% growth within the year.

▪️At the end of Iran's 2022 fiscal year, Russia led investments in the country, totaling $2.76 billion. (almost 2/3 of total foreign contributions).

▪️Raisi sought to strengthen transport cooperation, putting special emphasis on the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC). He pushed to accelerate the construction of the strategic multi-mode transit route, connecting Iran, India, Persian Gulf countries, Central Asia, Russia and Europe. The ambitious project involving the nations of the Global South looks to solidify trade connectivity among major megacities.

▪️"The implementation of the North-South Corridor project will be of particular importance for stability in the region," interim FM Ali Bagheri Kani said. He noted that thanks to Iran's "exceptional geopolitical location" reaching the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Eurasia and the Caspian Sea, Iran "can contribute to economic growth and economic potential of all the countries of the region."

▪️Aiming to ramp up Iranian-Russian all-round cooperation, Raisi and Putin agreed on a bilateral comprehensive treaty during the 2022 talks. The draft of the core document is now in a high degree of readiness and will bring bilateral ties to an entirely new strategic level.

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Russia urges the United States to continue to respect its commitments regarding the ban on nuclear tests, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"The Russian Federation calls on Washington to continue to follow its obligations in the field of the ban on nuclear tests, as well as to abandon the destructive policy towards the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and take urgent measures to ratify the treaty," she said.

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