Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pose for a photo during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday. (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged continued support for Iran on Tuesday as the United States launched a new round of strikes against Iranian targets, highlighting the increasingly close relationship between Moscow and Tehran as President Donald Trump intensifies military and economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
Putin made the pledge during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, according to The Washington Post.
The Post reported that Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia’s support and urged the two countries to work together to counter U.S. sanctions.
Putin said Russia was providing Iran with assistance and essential goods, according to the Post’s account of the meeting.
The Kremlin’s support for Tehran came as U.S. forces launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian targets Tuesday, raising the prospect of a wider renewal of fighting after a period of relative calm.
The United States launched new airstrikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, after an exchange of fire over the weekend threatened to reignite the broader conflict.
U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes targeted Iranian forces involved in attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. personnel in the region.
The renewed military action follows U.S. strikes Sunday against two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, according to Reuters.
Iran subsequently launched ballistic missiles at U.S. forces stationed in Jordan, Reuters reported.
Trump has warned that Iran would face a significantly stronger U.S. response if Tehran retaliates against the latest strikes.
The military escalation is unfolding alongside a separate Trump administration campaign to squeeze Iran economically.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the United States is likely to impose sanctions on an Iranian bank this week, with another round expected next week, Reuters reported.
Bessent said the administration is also considering sanctions against airline leasing companies and other entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“We are going to economically asphyxiate this regime,” Bessent said at a G20 finance leaders’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, according to Reuters.
Bessent said the administration expects to impose new secondary sanctions on a weekly basis, initially focusing on Iran’s financial sector.
He also said some Iranian institutions could ultimately be cut off from the dollar-based financial system and that the United States was working to identify and freeze IRGC assets around the world.
The economic offensive is part of Trump’s broader campaign to isolate Iran and cut off the regime’s sources of revenue.
Trump has described the effort as an “economic D-Day” and warned that countries and businesses providing Iran with an economic lifeline could face serious consequences.
The combination of renewed military action and escalating sanctions provides the backdrop for Putin’s renewed embrace of Tehran.
The Washington Post reported that Russia and Iran have developed an increasingly close military and political relationship, with each country providing support that has benefited the other.
Iran transferred drone technology to Russia that helped Moscow establish domestic production of the weapons, which Russia has used extensively in its war against Ukraine, according to the Post.
Russia, meanwhile, has provided Iran with targeting assistance for retaliatory attacks against U.S. forces and other targets in the Middle East, the Post reported.
Pezeshkian told Putin that Iran and Russia could use organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to counter U.S. sanctions and other unilateral measures.
The Post reported that the broader summit also highlighted growing opposition among Russia, China and other countries to U.S. economic and geopolitical pressure.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s members issued a statement Tuesday condemning military strikes against Iran and opposing what they described as unilateral coercive measures, according to the Post.
The group includes Russia, China, India and several Central Asian countries.
The gathering also gave Putin an opportunity to portray Russia as a key diplomatic and economic counterweight to Washington at a time when the Trump administration is trying to isolate Tehran.
The Post reported that Putin’s support for Iran comes as Moscow sees opportunities to deepen its influence as the United States devotes military and diplomatic resources to the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central flashpoint.
The waterway is critical to global energy markets, and renewed fighting has raised concerns about further disruptions to oil shipments.
Reuters reported that oil prices rose Tuesday as the latest U.S.-Iran exchanges heightened fears that the conflict could further disrupt energy supplies.
The economic consequences are already extending beyond Iran.
The latest fighting has contributed to higher oil prices and renewed concerns about inflation, while businesses and governments around the world are watching for signs that disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz could persist.
For the Trump administration, the strategy is increasingly clear: combine military pressure with an expanding economic campaign aimed at forcing Tehran to change course.
But Putin’s pledge of continued support demonstrates the challenge Washington faces in trying to isolate Iran.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.