Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed Russia's readiness to support Iran, sending a congratulatory message to Iranian leaders during Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. In his message, Putin underscored Russia's ongoing commitment to its partnership with Iran.

According to Thai News Agency, President Putin's greetings were directed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming the strength of the bilateral relationship. Despite these assurances, questions linger about the extent of Russia's assistance, as some Iranian sources have indicated limited tangible support from Russia amid Iran's ongoing crisis, the largest since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Adding to the complexity, Russia has accused the United States and Israel of exacerbating tensions in the Middle East, which it claims has led to a significant global energy crisis. In his statements, Putin also condemned the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of Iran, describing the act as "brutal and shameless."

In a separate development, Politico reported that Russia had proposed a "reciprocal" intelligence-sharing deal with the United States, suggesting a cessation of intelligence exchanges with Iran if the U.S. halted its intelligence support to Ukraine. However, this offer was reportedly declined by the United States, a report that Russia later dismissed as false.